


Almost Heaven

by Hughville, Pyewacket75



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Explicit Language, F/M, Minor Violence, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-04 10:34:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 32,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11553387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hughville/pseuds/Hughville, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyewacket75/pseuds/Pyewacket75
Summary: Having been on the road for several years, Wilson is finally cancer free.  He wants House to be happy so they go search for Cameron in Chicago.  Once there, they discover that she is married and has a young son.  Will she choose House or her family?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> We're baaacckk!!
> 
> Neither of us own House, MD or the characters from the show. Those all belong to David Shore, FOX and NBC Universal. Sadly, we make no money from these fics.

The studio apartment was quiet. No street noise intruded. A single lamp cast light over House as he lay on his bed reading. Actually, he just stared blankly at the page as he waited for Wilson to return from his appointment with his oncologist. They’d been on the road for almost six years now. They stopped every six months so Wilson could get his check-ups. He’d been cancer free for almost three years. Neither of them worked thanks to Wilson’s savings and all the money House left him when he “died.” To keep from killing each other, Wilson kept his medical license up to date and ran an online Oncology clinic. House enrolled in online courses to get his doctorate in Nursing. In each city they stopped, he completed his hands-on training. In three months, he (or rather Greg Smith, his new alias) would graduate with honors. It was a way for him to be able to practice medicine. He was currently taking classes in Physics just to keep his mind active. Wilson took some online courses in Psychology. He took just enough to annoy the shit out of House with his constant ruminations about why House did anything, like get a degree in Nursing.  
House closed the medical journal and removed his glasses. Rubbing his hand over his face, he sighed. They’d been so convinced Wilson was going to die. Now he wasn’t and House had to hide. To the world, Doctor Gregory House no longer existed. The only other good thing to come out of all this was he was able to have the nerves in his right leg severed using cooled radiofrequency ablation. Though it was a treatment for back pain, Wilson managed to talk a doctor into doing the procedure on House’s leg. House smiled slightly. Wilson could talk anyone into doing anything. Now House walked, pain free, with only a slight limp.  
The door swung open and Wilson walked in. He tossed his keys on the small kitchen counter. House was finally getting used to seeing his best friend in jeans and t-shirts with a beard and his greying hair. Wilson said he was still getting used to seeing House clean-shaven and his hair neatly combed. What House didn’t tell WIlson was that he colored it light brown. He really didn’t need to hear Wilson’s thoughts about why he did that. House knew. His own hair was nearly completely grey and he didn’t like it. Though he decried vanity in others, he couldn’t bring himself to admit aloud that he felt it.  
“Still cancer free,” he told House with a smile. “So, where do you want to go next?” He continued without letting House answer. “I was thinking that we go find Dominika. Maybe you two could work things out.”  
“There is one major flaw in that,” House said as he got up, went to the refrigerator and pulled a take out menu from the door. “I’m dead to her. Literally and figuratively.” He pulled out his cell phone. “Pizza okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” Wilson responded waving his hand dismissively. “But, we could find her and explain things to her. She’d understand and you two could try again. You deserve to be happy, House.”  
House looked at him as he ordered their dinner. Once he finished the call, he shook his head. “I lied to her and she thinks I’m dead. D-E-A-D. That’s a pretty big thing to explain to someone.”  
Wilson walked over to his bed and picked up his tablet. He sat down on the floor, cross legged, and began typing.  
“It can’t hurt to Google her,” he told House. “Aha! She’s living in California-” he stopped and his eyebrows drew together. “Where she works as a pastry chef in her husband’s restaurant. They have two kids.” Wilson laid his tablet in his lap. “Okay, so that’s a no for Dominika. You show up in her life again, she’d be a bigamist. Cuddy is most definitely out. Maybe Stacy-”  
“Wilson, stop. I’m fine.”  
“You deserve to be more than fine. You deserve to be happy. You gave up your life for me.”  
“And there it is,” House smirked. “The guilt. I chose to fake my death. You didn’t make me do it. My choice,” he said pointing to himself.  
“Cameron,” Wilson breathed. “We can find Cameron. You always had that weird thing with her. She’s in love with you.”  
“Was,” House reminded him. “I ruined Chase, remember? There’s no way back for me. Not where she’s concerned.”  
A knock sounded on the door. “Saved by the pizza and wings,” House said. He opened the door, paid the delivery girl who smiled and winked at him, and took the boxes from her. She was biting her bottom lip and looking at him coyly when he shut the door in her face.  
“This discussion isn’t over, House,” Wilson warned him, but he was smiling all the same. He got up and got two beer bottles out of the small fridge. He handed one to House before sitting down and taking a box of wings.  
“Can’t talk...eating,” he mumbled as he ripped open his box of wings and began chowing down immediately. Then he paused and made a face. “Unghh wrong ones. These are BBQ flavor. You’ve got my buffalo ones.”  
The men switched boxes and began eating, each taking a slice of pizza for themselves.  
When they finished dinner, House went to the freezer to get ice cream. “Cameron is another dead end. Emphasis on the word ‘dead’. She was at my funeral for God’s sake. And you think I can just waltz back into her life and say “Hey, Cameron, guess what? I’m not really dead. Wanna have dinner?”  
Wilson laughed and nearly choked on his ice cream. “Well, that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”  
“We don’t even know where she is.”  
“She can’t be that hard to find.”  
“Did it occur to you that maybe she doesn’t want to be found? That maybe she’s moved on and wants to leave PPTH and her past behind?” House asked.  
Wilson cocked his head to one side as he seemed to contemplate House’s words. Then he smirked and shook his head. “No,” he said with resolution and shoved another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, causing House to laugh that time.  
“We can’t just waltz into whatever hospital she works at and act like nothing happened. There are going to be questions and I don’t know if I have the energy to answer them. I hurt her and probably ruined her life.”  
“And yet she still showed up for your funeral,” Wilson pointed out.  
“Of course she did because it was the right thing to do. Cameron always does the right thing.”  
“Her speech was quite moving,” Wilson said, noticing that he had House’s full attention.  
House looked at him with narrowed eyes and then licked the back of his spoon. “I’m not going to have a chance to say anything to her. You’ll be too busy administering smelling salts when she faints from seeing a dead man.”  
“Oh please,” Wilson laughed, “she’s not going to faint. She’s tougher than that.”  
“Well she’s definitely going to be shocked but it doesn’t matter because we’re not going to Chicago.”  
“Ah-ha!” Wilson shouted as he pointed at House, “you have looked her up.”  
House shrugged and shoved his bowl to the side. “So? I got bored.”  
“Face it, House. You still have feelings for her and no matter what, she’ll always be “your girl” as you put it. What’s the harm in going up there and checking it out? I haven’t been to Chicago in years and there’s lots to see and do. It’s not like we have anything keeping us here.”  
House sighed. There was no sense arguing with Wilson who always got his way one way or another. Besides, he didn’t have the energy to argue about it anymore.  
“Fine. We’ll go, but if she doesn’t want to see me, we’re not staying. Deal?”  
“Deal,” Wilson said with a satisfied nod. He knew once House and Cameron saw each other again, there would be nothing that could make him leave.  
Later that night, in the dark room, House stared up at the ceiling. He rolled over and tucked the pillow more comfortably under his head. He often tried to imagine what she would say if he died. He knew she went to the funeral and since he bugged the room where his wake was held he knew what she said. He knew what everyone said, including Wilson when he went on his rampage. It surprised him how much of an impact he had on all their lives. Cuddy didn’t show up but he didn’t expect her to. Last time he checked on her, she was living in Manhattan and headed up the Endocrinology department at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital. He had no intention of ever seeing her again but he liked to know what she was doing. He kept up with all of them: Chase, Foreman, Taub, Park, Adams, Thirteen and even Masters. Thirteen died a year ago. Foreman still ran PPTH and just finished supervising renovations on the hospital. It was now three times the size it was when House worked there. Chase was still running the Diagnostics department and Taub, Park and Adams still worked for him. Masters was teaching at Harvard. Cameron was running the ER department at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He read every article she published and watched on YouTube every one of her presentations at various conferences. She still had blonde hair and she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He never told Wilson he kept up with all of them and tonight he accidentally let it slip about Cameron. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Maybe she’d had time to forgive him and would be civil to him. As he drifted off to sleep, he could feel the soft touch of her lips against his cheek and smell her perfume as she kissed him goodbye before walking away for the last time.


	2. Chapter 2

It took them a week to get themselves organized and to tie up loose ends before packing what little they had and heading on their bikes to Chicago. It only took a couple of days but they made it to the outskirts of the city and decided to stay the night at a hotel before exploring downtown the next day.  
“I’m going to go to Northwestern, feel the place out, see if they’re hiring. If I see Cameron, I’ll let you know,” Wilson told House.  
“What am I supposed to do?”  
“Go online and see what places are available to rent in the city. I’m sure that will keep you out of trouble for a few hours.”  
After Wilson left, House went online and searched for jobs at the hospital. Finding an apartment could wait. He saw there was an opening for head nurse in the ER and sent in a request for an application. Cameron emailed him the application about thirty minutes later along with a time for an interview. He filled out the application and sent it back along with his fake resume and real credentials. The appointment with Cameron was at nine thirty the next morning. If she hired him, he would be working with her to supervise the ER. She’d be in charge of the entire staff and he would be in charge of the nurses. He wouldn’t be her boss but that didn’t matter. Cameron always did what he told her to do.   
***  
“You did what!?” Wilson all but shouted at House when he learned of his plans. “Are you insane?”  
“I’m an insane genius,” House said with a proud grin.   
“And you never stopped to think that someone might clue into who you really are? It’s a teaching hospital. I’m sure someone has seen pictures of you in some publication in the medical field.”  
“Correction, they’ve seen Dr. Gregory House M.D., not Gregory Smith, R.N. Nobody will figure it out. People are generally pretty stupid.”  
“Except Cameron, of course.”  
“Of course. She’s the exception.”  
“I have a bad feeling about this.”  
“How did you make out?” House asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from him for a moment.  
“I got an interview tomorrow as well, in Oncology.”  
“What time?”  
“Nine.”  
“That works out then. My interview is at nine-thirty.”  
“With Cameron?” WIlson asked, his eyes widening.  
“None other.”  
“This is crazy. You don’t really think she’s going to hire you, do you?”  
“Why wouldn’t she? From what I’ve read, the ER is seriously understaffed and she sent me an application thirty minutes after I submitted a request for an interview. I think she’d hire a baboon if it meant getting more hands on deck.”  
“ _And your hands on her,_ ” Wilson thought to himself but he didn’t dare say it out loud. He was all too aware of House’s motives for doing what he did. He just hoped his friend knew what he might be getting into. Their time in Chicago might very well be cut short.  
House didn’t sleep well that night. He tossed and turned and when he did sleep, he had nightmares. Nightmares about Cameron not wanting to see him, getting found out, and going back to prison.   
“If it’s bothering you so much, don’t do it,” he heard Wilson’ mumble. “All your tossing and turning is keeping me awake.”  
“I need to see her,” House sighed as he scrubbed his hands over his face.  
“Even if it gets you into trouble? And me? I mean, I can go down for this too, you know.”  
“You don’t think I know? But remember, it was your idea I look her up and go see her. How do we know she won’t go to the police?”  
“We don’t. But it’s a gamble. That’s life, House. What can I tell you?”

In the morning, House didn’t have much of an appetite. Instead, he showered and dressed in some dark casual pants, a royal blue shirt and a dark jacket. He shaved once again and gave his hair one final comb-through before staring at himself in the mirror.   
“At least if you get the job you won’t have to take so much time to get ready every morning,” Wilson chuckled. “You’ll be in scrubs.”  
“Don’t remind me.”  
“Cameron looks hot in scrubs.”  
“Yes she does.”  
“Come on, we’re going to be late.”

They rode their bikes into town and parked in the visitor lot. “We should probably look into getting a car if we’re going stay here. The winters here can be just as brutal as the ones in Jersey,” Wilson said as they entered the large lobby.  
“You do that. I’m keeping my bike.”  
It was a large hospital. Probably twice the size of PPTH.  
“Meet in the cafeteria? Text me when you’re done.”  
“Yeah. If you hear police sirens and mayhem, the jig is up,” House said, dryly, suddenly feeling very apprehensive as he clutched the large envelope which held a paper copy of his false credentials.  
“It’ll be fine, House.”  
“I’m gonna hold you to that.”

The men parted ways with Wilson heading to Oncology and House to the ER. The closer he got, the more nervous he became. He almost considered turning around and calling the whole thing off, but then he saw Cameron and he froze in place. She looked positively radiant, even though she seemed somewhat frazzled.  
“Can I help you, sir?” The nurse at the desk called out to him, bringing him out of his stupor.  
“I’m here to see Dr. Cameron for an interview.”  
The nurse brightened up and even smiled at him. “You must be here for the head nurse spot. I’m Karen. I run the desk.”  
He wasn’t used to women smiling at him so favorably, let alone nurses, and it took him by surprise. “Yeah...I mean, yes,” he stammered. “But if she’s busy right now, I can wait.”  
“Yeah, we’re a little swamped here right now, as you can see. Allison...Dr. Cameron, was very impressed with your qualifications. You were the first one that applied when she posted about the job and I think you’re the only applicant today.”  
The nurse looked behind her at the chaos, and then looked back at House. “I’ll tell her you’re here, Mr…”  
“Smith. Greg Smith.”  
“She’ll be right with you.” And with that, Karen went to find Cameron in the crowd of people. Five minutes later, she returned, holding scrubs in her hands. “Dr. Cameron is in the middle of a trauma that just came in and wants to know if you could lend a hand?”  
“I guess…”  
“Great, you can put these on and go help her. She’s the blonde in the blue scrubs at bed nine. Oh, and you’ll want this,” she said and handed him a mask. He was elated. It was the perfect cover for the time being. He took the items to the bathroom and changed, leaving his clothes in a neat pile at the front desk with Karen as he went to find Cameron.

Cameron was cleaning a bad cut on a man’s leg and he was screaming in agony as she dabbed at it with antiseptic.  
House frowned as he approached. “Need a hand, here?” he inquired, his voice a little more cheerful and slightly higher than the deep voice he usually spoke with. The longer he could keep up the pretense so she wouldn’t recognize him, the better. He wanted them to be alone when she figured it out.  
She barely glanced at him. “Next bed,” she told him. “Glove up and get her evaluated. I think she’s going to need surgery.”   
House took one last look at her, drinking her in before turning to the woman lying on the next bed. She was right, The woman would definitely need surgery. House and a younger nurse cut away her clothes and did a thorough exam. For the first time in a long time, House actually made notations on a chart. Adrenaline rushed through him as he worked. _God, he missed this._ Suddenly a familiar scent tickled his nose. Cameron stood beside him and took the clipboard from him. He left his mask on and went back to cleaning the laceration on the woman’s arm. Cameron stared at the clipboard for a long time before shaking her head and directing the orderlies to take the patient up to the OR. Then she removed her gloves and sterile gown.   
“Sorry about that, Mister Smith,” she smiled as she dumped them in a biohazard bin. “Take a few minutes to get cleaned up and then come to my office. It’s at the end of the hallway over there.” She pointed toward it and he nodded.   
Once she entered her office, House went back to get his clothes and paperwork from Karen. He went to the bathroom and changed quickly. Looking in the mirror, he took a small comb out of his suit pocket and ran it through his hair. He put his scrubs in a laundry basket at the end of the hall and approached Cameron’s office. “Here goes nothing,” he said to himself as he turned the knob and went inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all who are reading this. We really appreciate it.

Cameron was bent over some paperwork, writing, when he came in. He stood quietly until she looked up. The pen dropped out of her hand as she stared at him. The color slowly drained from her face and her eyes widened.  
House closed the door behind him and stood in front of her desk. “You’re not seeing things,” he told her. “It’s me.”  
“You’re dead; you died; the urn….” her voice trailed off as she lifted her left hand and rubbed her brow. Her wedding ring glinted in the fluorescent light.  
“I faked it. Thought Wilson was going to die and I was going to have to go back to prison,” he said. “And you’re married. Again. What? Third time’s a charm?”  
She laughed slightly. “Of course you’re alive. Nothing could kill you. And now you want to work _here_. With false credentials.” Her words came out in short bursts like rounds of gunfire. Color flooded back to her face and anger glinted in her eyes.  
“Not entirely false,” he told her watching her closely. The last thing he wanted was for her to stroke out or worse, call the police. “I really do have my Ph.D. in Nursing.”  
“You hate nurses!” she shouted.  
“Shhh!” he hissed looking over his shoulder. No one came in and he turned back to her. “You’re really married again?” he asked in an attempt to divert her attention.  
She folded her arms across her chest and glared defiantly at him. “Yes. So?”  
“You happy this time? Husband doesn’t have cancer or hasn’t killed anyone?”  
Her eyes narrowed and she lowered her head slightly. House remembered that look all too well. She was utterly and truly pissed off.  
“Still can’t pierce me with your eyes,” he told her.  
She jerked slightly at his words and then stood, bracing her hands on her desk for a minute as she seemed to be at war with herself about something as her head was down. Then she straightened, walked around the desk and stood in front of him.  
“No games, no puzzles, just work,” she told him sternly. “You pull any of the crap you used to pull and you’re gone.”  
“You haven’t forgiven me, I see.”  
“No.” She looked directly into his eyes. “One screw up, House….”  
“Actually, it’s Smith now,” he told her. “As you pointed out, House is dead.”  
“Good.”   
She stepped around him and left the office with him following close behind. He watched her return to work before leaving. If she let him come back, he would have to be on his very best behavior. He sighed. He really hated behaving but he would do his best for her.   
The next morning, House returned to the ER after Cameron called him in to help because two nurses called in sick. He was careful to obey every order, every instruction, every demand with calm professionalism. Several times he caught Cameron watching him with narrowed eyes. He simply inclined his head and kept working. There were times during the shift when they worked side by side. Once or twice, his arm grazed her breast or their hands touched. Each time, he felt the old spark of desire lance through him. Judging by the way she shifted away from him, he knew she felt it, too. When his shift ended, she told him to wait for her in her office. He went in and stood in front of her desk. There were photo frames on it and he picked one up. It was a picture of Cameron, some random guy and a little boy. Obviously they were her husband and kid. He put the picture back and put his hands in his pockets. She was married and looked happy. Plus there was the kid with her eyes and smile.  
A few minutes later, she entered and shut the door. He turned to look at her. She averted her eyes and bit her lip. He stared down at her, wondering what was going through her head. She began touching his chest, then his shoulders before coming up to touch his face, then his hair.  
 _I’m having deja vu_ , he thought to himself as she stroked his cheek. Her hands were still as soft as ever. He closed his eyes and simply let her do what she felt she needed to do.  
He opened them again when he felt her arms wrap around his waist and her cheek rest against his chest as she sobbed quietly all over his scrub shirt.  
House was at a loss for words. He wasn’t sure what to do or what to say. He just knew that he knew he had to stop her crying and fast. In the end, all he could come up with was saying “Shhh,” in a soft, and what he hoped was a soothing tone as he awkwardly patted her back and stroked her hair.  
Just then, there was a brisk knock at the door and they jumped back from each other as if someone doused them with icy water.  
Karen poked her head in and cocked it to one side, looking concerned when she saw her boss’s red and puffy eyes.  
“Are you alright, Allison?”  
“Yes...yes I’m fine,” Cameron sniffed as she wiped her eyes quickly with the back of her hand.   
“Car accident just came in. Three injured, one critical.”  
“I’ll be right out.”  
They looked at each other for a moment, neither of them speaking. “Need me to stay?” he inquired.  
“You can’t be serious,” she looked at him incredulously. “You’d be working a double shift. You’ve never worked a double shift _and_ dealt with patients.”  
“I wouldn’t be here otherwise, and it looks like you need all hands on deck as it is. In all honesty, I forgot how much I missed it.”  
“Missed what?”  
“The whole doctor thing, but...you know, without the doctor part.”  
“You have behaved….so far.”  
“And if I prove myself worthy do I get the job?” he asked, looking excited.   
_Too excited_ , she thought. _He’s up to something._  
“Assuming there are no other applicants more qualified that come along, then yes.”  
“There won’t be. You know that as well as I do. You need me.”  
Cameron rolled her eyes. “Like a hole in the head.” She brushed past and walked out the door. House smiled and joined her in the ER. He had the job.

As House was leaving later that night, he saw Cameron walking out to her car. He called out to her and she walked over to him.  
“About the whole touching and crying thing…” she began. Shaking her head, she smiled. “My hormones are all out of whack. It was inappropriate and I’m sorry. You just threw me for a loop by showing up here.”  
“Red tide coming in?” he asked with a slight smile.  
She rolled her eyes but then shook her head and laughed. “Not yet.”  
House nodded. “Well, see you tomorrow?” he asked.   
“Unless a-”  
“Better applicant comes along. Yeah. Got it.” He walked to his bike, got on it and roared out of the parking lot.  
Cameron watched him and then slowly walked to her car.  
***  
When he arrived at the hotel, House was exhausted, but in a good way. Exhilarated was probably a better description. He knew he’d impressed Cameron by staying out of her way and not taking over the ER as was his first thought. She didn’t need any help. Karen also proved to be a real asset and even took the time to show House what he’d be doing as head nurse when she left. He could tell he’d impressed her too, and if she was impressed, Cameron would be pleased. He knew, however, that old habits die hard, and he wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to keep pleasing her. She seemed very wary of him for the rest of the day and avoided him whenever possible. He understood that. For the past five years, she thought he was dead. Then he showed up and knowing her the way he did, threw her completely off kilter.  
Wilson sat on his bed and looked at House. “Well, she didn’t kill you,” he commented as House removed his suit jacket. “And she didn’t call the police. I take it all is well in House-land and you got the job?”  
“All is topsy-turvy in Cameron-land. So did you get the job?” he asked Wilson.  
“They’re going to call me and let me know. What about you?”  
“If there aren’t any other applicants more qualified than me, the job is mine.” Wilson snickered at that and so did House. “Yeah, my thoughts exactly.”  
“What was her reaction when she saw you?”  
“It was a clusterfuck. She was shocked, then mad, then there was a moment where she….” House’s voice trailed off as he thought back to when she touched him. It was almost heavenly; surreal.   
“Where she what?” Wilson urged.  
“It was like she was checking me out to make sure I was real. Then she cried,” he said softly as he sat down heavily on his bed. “It’s not like I haven’t seen her cry before but when I’m the reason it’s worse. A lot worse.”  
“Did you make any nurses cry?” Wilson inquired with a chuckle.   
“No. I think they liked me. I don’t know if it was because I was their equal and knew what I was doing or because of the way I look. Sometimes I forget that I’m not House anymore and when women smile at me, I can’t understand why.”  
Wilson stretched out on his bed and glanced at his friend. “You’ve changed, House. For the better. Since you’re not in pain anymore, you’re not the man you used to be.”  
“I’m getting mellow in my old age,” he chuckled. “God,” he groaned as he ran his hands over his face. “I’m pushing sixty for chrissake.” There was silence. “Cameron’s married.”  
Wilson sat up. “What? Seriously?”  
“Yeah. I saw a picture on her desk of what I assume is her husband, and there’s a kid.”  
“Uh-oh.”  
“Yeah. So I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. It’s awkward.”  
“Is she happy?” Wilson asked.  
“She didn’t say, but I think she was still in shock that I was even there. It doesn’t matter anyway. She told me once she’d never cheat on her husband because she wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt. So where does that leave me? I don’t go after married women.”  
Wilson laughed. “The hell you don’t! Stacy comes to mind. And the other one...when you were in Mayfield. What was her name?”  
House’s expression darkened and he wished he’d never told Wilson about Lydia. While he never told him the specifics, just that she was a regular visitor and that they had music in common, Wilson had cleverly surmised that there was a lot more to that story.  
“They were different,” House mumbled.  
“How so?”  
“They weren’t happy, so it didn’t seem wrong.”  
“And if it turns out Cameron isn’t happy?”  
House shrugged. “Nothing. She’s too moral. She’d have to divorce hubby. I can’t see her doing that since she has a kid. It’s a game changer.”  
WIlson nodded and let the matter drop.


	4. Chapter 4

House arrived at the hospital the next morning at seven thirty. Cameron called his cell the night before and told him he had the job and to report to Human Resources to fill out his paperwork and get his name tag along with his dosimeter.  
He spent almost an hour filling out the endless amounts of paperwork, waiting for his badge and for his credentials to be copied and filed. Then a very flirty young brunette took him down to the ER where she gave him a pile of scrubs and showed him his locker. She leaned against the bank of lockers and twirled her hair.  
“I can come down later and show you where the cafeteria is,” she said sticking out her chest.  
House counted to ten before turning to smile down at her. “I don’t think my boyfriend would appreciate that,” he said silkily.  
She pulled back and suddenly became Miss Professionalism. “Of course. I just want you to know that if you need any help….”  
“I’m sure someone from the ER will be glad to assist me.”  
She nodded and started to back away. “Of course. Great group of people down here.” She whirled around and was gone.  
“Your boyfriend?” Cameron asked from behind him with a smile in her voice. “I always wondered about you and Wilson.”  
House slowly turned to face her. He leaned against his locker and cocked his head. “Do you eavesdrop on all your employees?”  
“Just the ones who are known to cause trouble,” she smirked. “You need to get changed. We’ve got victims of an apartment fire coming in.”  
“Yes, boss,” House grinned and then saluted her.  
Cameron smiled broadly. “That’s right. I am your boss. Make sure you remember that.”  
House shook his head as she walked away. Once she disappeared through the doors leading to the ER, he sat down on the bench in front of his locker. The attraction between them was stronger than ever. Since the day he hired her, years ago, he always thought at some point they would progress to having a relationship. Then she started sleeping with Chase and eventually married him. So he decided to pursue Cuddy which was the worst decision he ever made. Talk about clusterfucks. Then he had to push Cameron away; keep her distanced from him so she wouldn’t know how much she meant to him. The problem was he pushed her all the way to Chicago. Now, eight years after she left that final time, they were together again. Again, she was married and off limits. He just hoped he could keep that thought in mind when working so closely with her.  
***  
Wilson showed up in the ER around one that afternoon. House and another nurse were scrubbing down a burn victim. Another nurse shouldered past Wilson carrying a large silver basin.  
“Got the maggots,” she said as she set it down on a tray next to House.  
“Did you get the job?” House asked as they began to scoop maggots out and put them on the patient.  
“Yeah,” Wilson told him. “I get a car, an apartment, an assistant and an expense account. We have an appointment at six with a realtor to look at apartments. My housing allowance is impressive.”  
“I’ll be off at five barring any emergencies,” House told him. He looked at the two nurses. “Uh, James Wilson this is Trinity Adams and that’s Constance Needham.”  
“Hi,” Trinity smiled as she arranged a sterile dressing over the area with the maggots. She was tiny with glossy dark skin and large dark eyes. Her sterile gown nearly swallowed her but she looked tough. Constance was almost as tall as House with long brown hair tied back and skin the color of fine porcelain. Her eyes were a clear green and she smiled broadly at Wilson.  
“Don’t even think about it,” House told her. “He’s off limits.”  
Constance and Trinity looked at each other knowingly. “Nice to meet you, James, Trinity said.  
“Welcome to Northwestern, James,” Constance said with a slight smile.  
“Thanks,” he replied with a look of confusion at House.  
“We’re done here,” House told them. “I’ll recheck vitals.”  
They nodded and left.  
House began to check the patient’s blood pressure. “Oh, we’re gay and living together,” he told Wilson.  
“What?!?”  
“Shhh, got to be able to hear.”  
“We are not gay,” Wilson whispered furiously.  
“Oh, please,” House said as he marked the BP on the chart. “It’s not like you’re going to get any fuzz here. You’ve never had any luck dipping your pen in the company ink. It never ends well.”  
“Still.”  
House finished up and pulled off his sterile gown and gloves. He dumped both in a biohazard bin and walked out into the main area of the ER. “Go say hi to Cameron and I’ll meet you in the cafeteria. You can buy me lunch.”  
“Some things never change,” Wilson grumbled as he wandered off, winking at Trinity as he went. _Oh yeah_ , he thought to himself, _I’m definitely going to hit that_.  
***  
Their first stop was a building called Pinnacle and it had fully furnished apartments. The realtor, whose business card read Benjamin Carleton III, looked just as boring and stuffy as his name. However there was something familiar about him that House couldn’t quite put his finger on. He did have the impression he’d definitely seen the realtor before.  
“Nice bike,” Benjamin said with an appreciative smile.  
“Gets me where I need to go. You ride?”  
“I used to. I got married and my wife made me give up the bike. Then we had a kid and I have been in domesticated mode.” He shrugged and looked at House’s bike again. “I do miss my bike but having a happy wife is a fair trade off.”  
While House’s mind worked on that, they took a tour of some of the available apartments and chose a two bedroom with a den that had an open floor plan, lots of space and a nice balcony. The decor was very modern with stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops. The building had a pool and a pool table in the common room and both House and Wilson agreed that it was perfect.  
“Great,” Benjamin smiled. “We’ll complete the paperwork at my office. It’s just down the street from Northwestern Memorial.”  
“We work there,” Wilson told him.  
Benjamin cocked his head. “Then you probably know my wife. Everyone does. It’s like being married to the head cheerleader.” He and Wilson laughed.  
“Your wife works at Northwestern?” House inquired. The final puzzle piece clicked into place. Benjamin Carleton III was the same man in the picture on Cameron’s desk.  
“Yes, she’s head of the ER department there. Do you know her? She goes by her maiden name, Cameron.”  
“I’m one of the ER nurses,” he said.  
“Oh, I see. You must be the new hire she told me about.”  
For some reason, hearing that Cameron told her husband about him made House’s hackles rise.  
“Really? You and the wife have a good gossip and giggle about the tired out old nurse she hired?”  
“First off, Allison and I don’t gossip and giggle. Second, she told me she hired one of the best nurses she’s ever worked with. I guess my old mantra, everybody lies, might be true in this case,” Benjamin told him with a strained smile. “Think you can find your way to my office? Since you’re so old and tired out?”  
Sensing tension, Wilson steered House away. “We’ll meet you at your office shortly. Come on, Greg.”  
When they arrived at their bikes, Wilson’s questioning began.  
“What the hell was that about?”  
“He’s Cameron’s husband.”  
Wilson paused before he put on his helmet. “Seriously?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Well he’s attractive, smart, snarky and has a good sense of humor. Remind you of anyone?”  
“Aww that’s sweet. You think I’m attractive,” House said with a grin before flipping his visor down and revving up the bike.  
“Oh boy,” Wilson sighed as he started his bike and followed House.  
Once the paperwork was signed, they went to the hotel and packed their things so they could move into the apartment the next morning.  
Since House got called into the ER with another multi-vehicle crash, which included a motorcyclist without a helmet, Wilson had to take all their things to the apartment himself.  
“You idiot,” House said to the biker who lay on a bed in the ER. “I realize that helmets aren’t mandatory here like in other states but unless you have a deathwish, I suggest you get yourself one. You might not be so lucky next time.”  
“Greg,” Cameron’s stern tone came from behind him. “Enough.”  
“You’ve seen what happens to bikers without a helmet. You tell him,” House said to her and then left.  
“What a jerk,” the patient mumbled.  
“He might be a jerk, but he’s right. You have a concussion and you need a CAT scan to make sure there’s no other damage. I’ll be back to check on you later.”  
***  
“I got an apartment,” House told her when they had time for a short break. “And you’ll never guess who the realtor was.”  
She put a finger to her chin and pretended to think. “Hmmm...Benjamin Carleton III perhaps?”  
“The very same. I can see why you’re with him, even though he’s a goody-goody.”  
“House...err...Greg….stop.”  
“You know you’re going to have to stop calling me House, don’t you?”  
“It’s a hard habit to break but I’m working on it.”  
“Well, if you want, you can call me House when it’s just us. Behind closed doors,” he leered at her and then gave her one of his most charming smiles. Her cheeks reddened and her body suddenly felt like it was on fire.  
“You’re not in love with him, are you?”  
When she didn’t answer right away, he nodded. “Didn’t think so.”  
“What makes you say that?”  
“Because you can’t even answer the question. What is it? His money? You wanted financial stability?”  
She sighed. “It doesn’t matter, does it? I’m married, we have a son. He’s given me everything I’ve ever wanted.”  
“That’s not enough though, is it?” he asked her and then left when one of the nurses called him away.  
She sighed and went to her office to finish her tea and catch up on paperwork she didn’t finish that morning. Since it was the weekend, there wasn’t much and there seemed to be a lull in the ER. Once she finished, she went back out and began checking charts. She mentally counted to ten and when she reached eight, House walked up to her.  
“If it stays like this for the next hour I’m heading out,” she told him.  
“Wanna come see the apartment?” House asked her. “Your hubby has good taste. We chose the first place he suggested.”  
“Pinnacle?” she asked.  
“Yeah, how did you know?”  
“A lot of doctors live there because it’s close and it’s not too expensive. And it’s nice. I lived in a one bedroom when I moved here.”  
“That’s how you met, I guess.”  
“Yep.”  
“So do you want to come over?” House asked again.  
She glanced at her watch. Ben was expecting her home by five but it was only two. “Okay, if we can get out of here early. But I can’t stay long.”  
“Wow.”  
“What?”  
“He’s really got you on a short leash, doesn’t he?”  
Cameron seemed shocked, and even offended by his remark. “What? He does not!”  
House wasn’t buying it but decided to let it drop for the time being. “Uh-huh. Anyway, our suite is bedroom eight. Eighth floor, corner suite.”  
“Oh! That’s one of the nicest ones. Hopefully we don’t get anymore excitement today. It is a Sunday and they’re not usually that hectic. This was an exception. I didn’t want to have to call you in, but there’s a cold going around so a lot of people are sick. Speaking of which, have you had your flu shot?”  
He nodded. “Yeah I’m good.”  
“Good.”  
They spent another hour in the ER and once she left instructions with the other doctors she was satisfied that they could leave.  
“So you’ll meet me at my place?”  
She smiled. “Actually, I was driven to work today.”  
“No problem,” he shrugged and handed her his helmet like he had many years before. She arched her eyebrow at him. “After telling a patient he’s an idiot for not wearing a helmet, you’re not going to wear one?”  
“There’s a big difference. I’m not going to be on the highway doing eighty miles an hour. Now let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the [apartment House and Wilson move into in this chapter.](https://www.pfsuites.com/river-north/oneeleven/oneeleven-2-bedroom-08)


	5. Chapter 5

While Cameron sat on the back of House’s bike, her arms around him, her brain was going a mile a minute.  
 _I must be out of my mind! What the hell am I doing? This is all wrong. This can’t be happening! Why is House here? In Chicago? Did he come here looking for me? Did he think we’d just hook up and live happily ever after? And what happened with his leg? Where is his cane? Is he really pain free? I haven’t seen him pop a single Vicodin, come to think of it. What have he and Wilson been doing these last five years? I thought Wilson was dying of cancer and had no plans to seek treatment. He looks healthy, too. They both do. Maybe I’m the one who’s dead because this can’t be real. None of it seems real. But House feels real. In my office we had a moment…._  
The ride to the Pinnacle wasn’t long enough for her to gather her thoughts and soon, House was pulling into an underground lot and parking beside another motorcycle.  
“Wilson has a motorcycle, too?” she asked.  
“Yeah but I think he’s going to trade it in and get a car.”  
“It’s a good idea. Winters here can be brutal.”  
It was an awkward ride up in the elevator. When House let them into the apartment, it was empty, aside from the furniture, a few boxes here and there, and a note from Wilson in his neat handwriting.  
“Looks like he went to get groceries.” House went to the fridge. “How about some water? That’s pretty much all we have right now.”  
“Sure, thanks. Then you can give me the grand tour.”  
“It’ll be a short one. As nice as this place is, it’s not that big. Not much bigger than my old apartment, anyway.”  
He handed her a glass of water, their fingers just barely touching as she took it, and he felt the electric charge from the contact.   
“Come on,” he said as he left the kitchen area. “You can help me decide which bedroom to take. Wilson and I haven’t called it yet.”  
He led her into a room which was all windows and had a blue bedspread. “I like this one. It’s bright with all the windows,” she said.  
“In which people can see in,” he pointed out.  
She smirked at him. “I didn’t know you were into exhibitionism, House.”  
He grinned back at her. “I have my moments.” He took her to the other room which was the same size but the bed was bigger.   
“Bigger bed for the win,” he told her.  
“Bigger isn’t necessarily better,” she said and left the room when she heard the front door open. Wilson came in carrying half a dozen bags.  
“Oh, hey Cameron,” he smiled at her as she helped take some bags from him. “Thanks. Did House give you the grand tour?”  
“He did.”  
“Are you staying for dinner?”  
“No, I can’t. I have to get back.”  
“Back to the hospital?” House asked her.  
“If you don’t mind. I just realized I left some paperwork I need to take home with me.”  
“We can swing by and get it and I’ll take you home. Saves Benji a trip.”  
Cameron blinked at the nickname and then laughed. “Don’t let him catch you calling him that.”  
“Or what?” House asked, standing very close to her and looking down as if to challenge her. They stood staring at each other like that until Wilson cleared his throat.  
“Let’s go, House,” Cameron said with a sigh as she grabbed her jacket and her purse.  
When Cameron picked up her things at the hospital she texted Benjamin to let him know she was getting a ride home.  
When House pulled up into the driveway, Benjamin glanced out the window and watched her climb off the back of the motorcycle, wave and then come inside.   
“Was that Greg Smith?” he asked her as he followed her down the hall.  
“Yep,” she said nonchalantly as she entered the bedroom and grabbed a hairbrush.  
“He just happened to be going your way, huh?”  
“Yep.”  
“What’s with the one word answers, Ally?”  
She stopped brushing the tangles out of her hair and stared at him through the reflection in the mirror.  
“What more do you want me to say? We left work early because it was quiet and he offered to give me a ride. It was a nice gesture and saved you from having to get Ben dressed and in the car to come get me.”  
“He likes seeing you at work in your scrubs. And so do I, for an entirely different reason,” he grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her.  
“Oh yeah? And what reason would that be?”  
“You look sexy and they’re easy to get in and out of, if you know what I mean,” he said and wiggled his eyebrows for effect. She giggled as he kissed and nuzzled her neck. Since it was his day off, he hadn’t shaved so he had a couple days’ worth of scruff. When she closed her eyes she couldn’t help imagine it was House kissing her, and she found herself becoming increasingly aroused.  
“Where is Junior anyway?”  
“Playing next door at his friend’s house,” Benjamin whispered in her ear as his hands slid down over her ass and he pressed his body against hers. “We’re all alone…”  
***  
Late afternoon sunlight glinted off the row of windows. House and Wilson sat on the couch in front of the massive flat screen TV, eating Chinese food and watching a baseball game.  
“She doesn’t love him,” House commented when a commercial came on.  
“Don’t,” Wilson warned.  
“What? She doesn’t. I asked her twice. She avoided twice.”  
“She is not leaving her family for you.”  
“You just can’t stand the thought of me being happy, can you?” House whined piteously.  
“Nope. Game’s back on.”  
“Aren’t you the least bit interested in the fact Cameron doesn’t love her husband? It’s a well known fact that men with Roman numerals after their name suffer from Limp Dick Syndrome. They’ve probably had sex twice,” House grumbled.  
Wilson sighed, grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. “You’re obsessing because you can’t have her. Maybe you should transfer to a different hospital.”  
“Why should I do that? Didn’t you hear me? She doesn’t love him. Ergo, I have a shot with her. Wasn’t that the whole point of us moving here?”  
“No, ergo she’s made her choice and decided to live with it. Let it go, House. She’s moved on. I wish now I’d never mentioned finding her.”  
House snatched the remote from Wilson and turned the TV back on. “Just shut up and watch the game,” he grumbled and then grabbed the last egg roll which he crammed into his mouth.  
***  
As the weeks went by, House and Cameron developed a healthier working relationship than they ever had at PPTH. He worked in triage, and managed to maintain order so Cameron and the other doctors didn’t get completely swamped in the “pit” as they called it. Once in awhile he’d jump in and help in a crisis because in all honesty, House was the only one she really trusted when it came down to the critical cases.  
What surprised her was that he never tried to overstep. She knew there were times when he wanted to but didn’t, and it surprised her. In fact, she was constantly surprised at how much he’d changed.  
It reminded her of when he was taking methadone for his pain years ago and it was a little strange to see him so different. He hadn’t even made a nurse cry which was astounding in its own right.  
But as usual, when things seemed to be going well, there was always a turning of the tides.  
“You okay?” House asked her when she was leaning against his desk, staring off into space.  
“Huh?” she mumbled as she continued to stare until he waved a hand in front of her face.  
“Earth to Cameron. You must love the Twilight Zone. You keep goin’ there.”  
She blinked a couple of times and then looked at him. “Sorry, I’m just kind of out of it today. I didn’t sleep well last night.”  
“Everything okay on the homefront?”  
She shrugged. “As okay as it can be with a sick five-year old who excels at projectile vomiting every half hour.”  
“Gotta love the school age years. Schools are like a petri dish full of germs.”  
“Tell me about it. He’s okay now though I think. Benjamin is staying home with him today. He said he’ll bring him in if it gets bad and he hasn’t called me yet so...fingers crossed.”  
“You should sit down. You haven’t taken a break in awhile.”  
She smirked at him. “Concerned for my welfare, Nurse Smith?”  
“You look pale. Are you sure you’re okay?”  
She shook her head and House promptly held a trash can in front of her as she threw up into it.  
“God,” she groaned as she grabbed the chair and plopped down on it. “Where did that come from?”  
“Welcome to cold and flu season.”  
“But I’m not sick,” she moaned and took tissue to wipe her mouth.  
“You are now. Go lie down on one of the empty beds while it’s quiet in here. I’ll come check on you in a minute.”  
“I’m fine.”  
He gave her a look that she was all too familiar with. A look that told her that he wasn’t backing down, and she sighed in resignation.  
“Is she okay?” one of the younger doctors asked him as he watched her go.  
“I don’t know. But I’ll get to the bottom of it. Hey, kid,” House called to the closest doctor he could see and listed off a bunch of tests. The doctor gave him a look of contempt but at House’s glare, nodded and scurried off to examine Cameron.  
Half an hour later, he heard Cameron calling him. “Smith!”  
He made his way over to her and shoved the curtain aside. “What?”  
She pulled the covers back and there was a good amount of blood on her scrub pants. “I don’t think this is the flu,” she said, looking down at herself. “Oh God..what’s happening?”  
“Jenkins is running tests. Just lie back and try to relax. I’ll get you some new scrubs.”  
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re running tests?”  
House shrugged as Jenkins returned with the test results and put them in House’s outstretched hand.  
“Thanks kid, now scram.”  
“Smith,” Cameron’s warning tone was enough to make him pause. “Jenkins can take it from here.”  
Jenkins looked smug and once House was out of earshot, said, “Who does he think he is, anyway?”  
“Smith? He thinks he’s the best nurse in this hospital, and I think he’s right. So try not to piss him off.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Did you know?” House asked her when she stood by the door waiting for Benjamin to pick her up.  
“That I’m six weeks pregnant? No, I really didn’t. I’ve been so busy these last few weeks I honestly didn’t even realize that I was late.”  
“Did you have any complications with your last pregnancy?”  
She nodded. “I miscarried once in between Ben and this one but I was still only in my first trimester when it happened.”  
“You should go see Dr. Martin tomorrow.”   
“I’ll make an appointment first thing.”  
“I’ll do it for you,” he said and picked up the phone. While he was doing that, Benjamin showed up with their son in tow.  
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Benjamin asked her as he gave her a quick peck.  
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just tired from not sleeping well last night.”  
“Well you can go to bed early tonight and I’ll keep watch over Ben.”  
House hung up the phone. “You’re all set for tomorrow at ten.”  
Cameron nodded.  
“All set for what?” Ben asked her.  
“Hey, Benji,” House said smiling thinly.  
“It’s Benjamin,” he corrected.  
“You bet,” House winked at him and then handed a red lollipop to Ben that he had in his pocket. Cameron couldn’t resist smiling at the gesture, or the fact that House still had a thing for red lollipops.  
“We should get going. Traffic is already starting to get nasty,” Benjamin commented in a flat tone.  
“See you tomorrow, Greg,” she said with a smile as Benjamin led her and their son away.  
When she was gone, House sighed and returned to work for another couple of hours until his replacement came and it was time to go home.  
His mind reeled as he made his way back to the apartment. When he got in, Wilson was in the kitchen cooking dinner. House tossed his keys on the table by the door, dropped his helmet and went to the fridge for a much needed beer.  
“Tough day?” his friend inquired as he stirred something in a pot.  
“That’s an understatement.”  
“Well? Are you going to tell me?”  
“Cameron’s pregnant. She had a little scare today but she’s going to be ok.”  
“Wow.”  
“Yeah.”  
“How far along is she?”  
“Six weeks.”  
“Interesting, since we arrived in town six weeks ago.”  
House rolled his eyes. “Now you’re just being crass.”  
But Wilson looked serious. “House, did you and Cameron…”  
“You must be joking.”  
“Well the timing would be right,” Wilson said with a shrug.  
“Yeah, and on the first day I saw her we just couldn’t control ourselves and she said “ _Take me, Big Daddy!_ ” No. As fun as that would have been, it didn’t happen. Nothing happened, or is going to happen between Cameron and me. She’s married, with a cute kid and another one on the way. I don’t factor into that equation at all.”  
House wished he could drop it, but he couldn’t figure out why it bothered him so much. He had no right to be upset about it, but it didn’t mean he had to like it.  
**  
The next day, Cameron called in sick to work, and House was concerned. She never called in sick. When he had some time, he called her cell phone.  
“ _Cameron._ ”  
“You okay?” he asked softly.  
There was a pause before she spoke. “ _Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Greg House?_ ”  
“It’s still me. Only the name changed. So did you go see Martin?”  
“ _Yes, and I’m fine, just tired so I need a day to just...I don’t know, chill? Take a day for me. Is that allowed?_ ” She sounded slightly angry.  
“Sure. Whatever. It’s just that you never call in sick so I just wanted to check in.”  
“ _Do you do that with everyone else in the ER or just me?_ ”  
“Just you. You’re the only one who matters.”  
More silence. “ _I have to go._ ”  
“Will you be in tomorrow?”  
“ _Probably. Bye, House._ ”  
When she ended the call and turned around, Benjamin was leaning against the door frame and it startled her, as well as the confused look on his face.  
“Who was that?” he asked.  
“Oh, just Smith checking in. He does that.”  
“Huh, I was thinking they wanted you to come in.”  
“Nope. He was worried about me after yesterday.”  
“Nice. Well, lunch is ready. Come on down.”  
“I’ll be right there.”  
Benjamin went downstairs but his head was full of questions. _Who was really on the phone and if it was Greg Smith, why did she call him House?_ She told him that her former boss and mentor, Dr. Gregory House, passed away in 2012 and it appeared to be a sore subject so he never brought it up again. But now, something wasn’t adding up. He made a mental note to check out that picture she had on her desk at work of her former team from Princeton Plainsboro. What puzzled him most was that the man she described as House came off as a misanthropic ass who lived in pain every day and yet she spoke of him with great affection and some sadness. Nurse Greg Smith seemed to be the polar opposite.  
He’d get to the bottom of it, though. He always did.  
**  
Cameron entered the ER the next morning and saw House at the desk doing paperwork. She walked over to him and peered over his shoulder.  
“Feeling better after your chill day?” he asked as he continued to mark charts.  
“Yes. Having fun doing charts?” she asked with a smile.  
“Oh, you have no idea how much joy this brings me,” he said drily. “Go put your stuff away. There’s been a gang shooting. We’re expecting six to eight GSWs and knifings. Fun times.”  
Cameron went into her office and put away her things before returning to the “pit” to get dressed in protective gear for the gangbangers being brought in. In the distance, she could hear the high pitched whine of the ambulances. Looking around, she saw everything and everyone was ready.  
The next four hours passed in a blur. At one point, House and two of the doctors broke up a fight between rival gang members. Cameron ordered sedation for all of them to keep them from fighting again. When they were done and all the patients were either taken away by the police or sent upstairs, she sagged against the main desk. A strong arm encircled her waist and she leaned against House. He steered her toward her office. Once inside, he closed the door and guided her to her chair. She sank down and leaned back rubbing her neck. House’s long, warm fingers brushed hers aside and he kneaded the tight muscles. She suppressed a moan as his fingers gently worked each knot out. Desire coursed through her as his fingers began to stroke her throat before moving up to her face. A throbbing ache formed between her legs as his fingers danced over her cheeks. She could hear his ragged breathing and the heat radiating from him. She started to turn toward him when someone opened the the door. House snatched his hands away and moved to one side as Benjamin entered. He looked at them taking in Cameron’s flushed skin and dilated eyes. His eyes narrowed.  
“Hey,” Cameron said shakily. “What brings you down here?”  
“Thought you might like to have lunch with me,” he said as he stared at House. He moved toward her desk and picked up the picture of her, House, Chase and Foreman. Looking at it, he smiled slightly,  
“Funny, you take away the beard and messy hair and you’ve got Nurse Smith’s doppelganger. Either that or you’ve got House who isn’t really dead and is back to see you. I wonder which it is?” Benjamin mused.  
“We’ve all got a twin out there,” House commented as he moved toward the door. “I’m taking my lunch break. Wilson’s waiting for me.” He slipped past Benjamin and out the door.  
Benjamin carefully put the picture down. “Lunch?”  
Cameron nodded and followed him out. She would have to be very careful from now on. Benjamin could never find out that Greg Smith was actually House. She couldn’t take the chance that he would call the police and turn him in. She needed House. She was still in love with him though she couldn’t and wouldn’t ever do anything about it.  
**  
Wilson was in his office working when House walked in.   
“The husband is getting nosey,” House told him as he sank down in a chair. “He saw the picture of the old team Cameron keeps on her desk. Commented about the similarities between me and me.”  
Putting down his pen, Wilson looked up at him in concern. “What did you say? What did he say? What did she say? What were you two doing?”  
“Geez, what is this? The Spanish Inquisition?”  
“Nobody expects The Spanish Inquisition,” Wilson smirked. “Seriously, what happened? What did you do?”  
“Why do you automatically assume *I* did something?”  
“Because it’s you and Cameron and I know you. So give it up.”  
House sighed loudly. “We had gangbangers in the ER. When we were through, she was...tired. I walked her back to her office and her neck hurt. So, I _may_ have massaged it. And Benji _may_ have walked in while I was and he _may_ have gotten suspicious.”  
“You are in so much trouble,” Wilson commented. “She’s still in love with you and now you’re in this ridiculous triangle. Are you in love with her?”  
House looked away and Wilson shook his head. “This is going to get ugly. She never could resist you.”  
“She resisted me just fine while she was sleeping with and married to Chase. She resisted me when she accused me of killing Dibala. She resisted me when she came back to get the divorce papers signed,” House told him grimly.  
“You knew she came back?” Wilson asked sympathetically.  
“Don’t,” House told him in exasperation. “Don’t go all soft and weepy on me. Let’s go get lunch. You’re buying since you now make more money than I do.”  
**  
The cafeteria was crowded. House and Wilson stood in line waiting to order their lunch when House spotted Cameron and Benjamin sitting near the windows.  
“Oh, Jesus,” he breathed.  
Wilson craned his neck and looked around. He looked back at House. “It’s crowded. We can avoid them.”  
They got their food and sat at a table near the entrance of the cafeteria. Unfortunately it was the only empty table.  
House bent over his food and didn’t say anything. A few minutes later, Benjamin and Cameron walked past them. Wilson smiled at her but her eyes were on House. No one said anything and a moment later she and her husband were gone.  
House put down his sandwich. “Maybe I should find a new job.”  
“If she lets you go,” Wilson told him.  
“If I give her notice, she has to.”  
“She’s not going to like it.”  
“She doesn’t have to,” House told him. “It’s better if I leave. I don’t want to screw things up for her.”  
When House returned to the ER after lunch, Cameron was with an older woman so he left her to do her work. He could write up his letter of resignation when he got home. A stack of charts sat on his desk and he groaned. Pulling up his chair, he sat down and began working on them. He was halfway through when Cameron approached him.  
“Sorry about earlier,” she said softly.  
“What are you sorry for?”  
“The massage. I shouldn’t have let you do that.” She looked down at her hands.  
House shook his head. “No, I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.”  
“You’re apologizing?” she asked softly with a hint of amusement in her voice. “You really have changed.”  
“Nurse Smith knows how important apologies are,” he told her. Looking up, he stared at her. She stared back and it was if no time passed. His mouth became dry and his breathing hitched in his chest. Color tinted her cheeks and her eyes dilated as she looked at him. The clatter of a bedpan hitting the floor broke the spell that held them in thrall. Cameron closed her eyes and shook her head.  
“Puzzle,” she blurted out.  
“Board game,” House smirked. “Is this a new game?” He was extremely grateful for the distraction. The attraction between them was stronger than ever and he wasn’t sure how long he could resist it or her.  
She smiled that smile he remembered so well. The one that let him know he’d amused her when no one else got his jokes.  
“Speaking of puzzles, I have a medical one for us to solve,” she told him with an excited glint in her eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

House leaned back in his chair and looked up at her. “You rather adamantly said no medical puzzles when you hired me.” he reminded her.  
She rolled her eyes. “I was angry and confused. Do you want to help me with this or not? Because I can get one of the other doctors to help me diagnose this.”  
House stood and tossed his pen on the pile of charts on his desk. “No way. Where’s the patient?”  
Cameron led him to the woman she was examining when he came back from lunch. House picked up her chart and read over her symptoms.  
“Could be any of the chronic muscular diseases,” he mused. “She has muscle weakness in her trunk and lower extremities. She tripped on the stairs. She has trouble breathing when she’s lying down.” He looked around. “Where’s a whiteboard when you need one?”  
“I have a disease?” the woman asked. She tried to sit up in the bed but fell back against the pillows.  
“That’s what we’re going to figure out,” House told her as he continued to look over her chart.  
“I’m not going to die, am I?”  
“Not if I can help it,” House replied.  
Cameron took the chart from him. “There’s a whiteboard in my office,” she reminded him. She turned and smiled at the patient. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Collins. Just try to rest. That sedative I gave you should kick in soon.”  
Mrs. Collins nodded.  
“I’m going to make a copy of her chart,” House told Cameron as they walked away. “I’ll meet you in your office.”  
Cameron had most of the symptoms written on the whiteboard when House entered. He put the copy of Mrs. Collins’ file on the desk and looked over the symptoms.  
“How much leeway do we have for testing?” he asked as he moved around her desk and sat on it. He patted the space beside him and Cameron sat next to him.  
“Very little,” she told him as she handed him the marker. “I always send the puzzles up to Medicine.”  
“Did you just refer to living, breathing patients as puzzles?” he smirked.  
She folded her arms across her chest and frowned as she looked over the symptoms.  
House leaned forward and peered at her. He knew he hit a nerve but didn’t want to antagonize her further. “Could be MS,” he told her.  
“No, she’s not experiencing any vision loss or tremors.”  
“Yet. We should do an MRI.”  
“We can’t,” she told him.  
“Why not?” he asked then rolled his head back. “You’d have to send her upstairs.”  
“Exactly. We have to go off her symptoms. We can do lab work on her but that’s pretty much it. And we have to figure it out fast. We can’t keep her down here too long.”  
For the next two hours, they tossed ideas back and forth. Now they sat quietly side by side staring at the symptoms.  
“Pompe disease,” House said. “I was just reading about it. All the symptoms fit and we can do a blood test to check for GAA enzyme activity. I’ll go draw some blood. Once we confirm, we’ll have to send her upstairs so they can complete the tests for a diagnosis.”  
“There’s no cure,” Cameron reminded him.  
House slid off the desk. “But she can get help managing the disease. I think you caught it early enough that she will still have a few good years.”  
“Get the blood and do the test,” she sighed as she slumped slightly.  
Without thinking, House wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him as he stroked her back. He felt her arms encircle him and he held her tighter. Desire sparked between them and he pulled back to look into her eyes. Slowly he lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. For a split second she responded then she jerked away and released him.  
“We shouldn’t do this. We can’t do this. I’m married, House.”  
He dropped his arms and moved away from her.  
“I’ll go run the test,” he breathed.  
Cameron nodded and watched him go. Then she sat back down at her desk to collect herself. “I’m in so much trouble,” she muttered aloud as she rubbed her temples.  
When the test came back positive, House sent Mrs. Collins upstairs to Medicine for further testing. He looked around and saw Cameron on the other side of the room. She glanced at him then looked away.  
He didn’t understand her at all. Why was she playing these games? One minute she was letting him touch her and the next she avoided him like the plague. He couldn’t figure her out and it was driving him insane.  
***  
House came home and tossed his helmet on the side table.  
“Rough day?” Wilson inquired from the couch as he watched TV. “You’re not usually home this late.”  
“Had a patient.”  
Wilson cocked his head to one side and grinned. “You’re doing consults on the sly?”  
“No, but nobody else seemed to know what was going on, except Cameron. She asked my opinion and I told her what tests to order,” House said with a shrug as he went to the kitchen and got a beer and a bag of pretzels.  
“So did you figure it out?”  
“Yeah. Pompe Disease.”  
Wilson blinked. “Wow. Looks like you two are back into the swing of things.”  
House shrugged again, which made Wilson become suspicious. “What aren’t you telling me?”  
“It’s complicated.”  
“Of course it is. What happened?”  
“I kissed her,” House muttered before taking a long sip of beer, then shoved a pretzel into his mouth.  
“You what!? House, are you crazy?”  
“Clearly.”  
“What do you think is going to happen if you two carry on the way you are? Someone’s going to get hurt. Love triangles are messy and rarely work out in the end. Haven’t you seen those John Hughes movies?”  
House chuckled, “I was around in the eighties, so yes, I have.”  
“What happened, exactly?”  
House gave him the details before taking another long sip. “It wasn’t much of a kiss. She broke it up and looked incredibly guilty, and then avoided me for the rest of the day.”  
“Wow, well you clearly haven’t lost your touch when it comes to screwing things up beyond repair.”  
“Gee thanks,” House responded drily.  
“So what now?”  
“I’m just gonna keep on as always and pretend nothing happened, like she did all day. It was stupid, I know that but…”  
“The chemistry is still there, huh?” Wilson asked, knowingly.  
“It never left. In fact it just got more intense over the years.”  
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”  
“You’re such a sap,” House groaned.  
**  
The next morning, Cameron dealt with an intense round of morning sickness, a cranky five year old who didn’t want to go to school and a suspicious husband. By the time she got to work, she was exhausted and crankier than Ben. House was nowhere to be found which made her even crankier. The ER was relatively quiet so she ordered all the staff members not tending to a patient to restock everything and double check all the charts stacked on House’s desk. As the morning wore on and House still didn’t show, Cameron became more irritable. Patients began to fill up the waiting room and Cameron snapped at the staff to work harder to get the patients worked up and out of the ER.  
Finally, at a quarter to two, House walked through the staff entrance with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Cameron made a beeline for him, her face twisted and flushed with anger.  
“Where the hell have you been?” she demanded. “You don’t get to set your own hours and come waltzing in here whenever you feel like it!”  
House took her arm and steered her toward her office. Once inside, he closed the door behind them.  
“My shift starts at two o’clock so technically I’m early,” he told her. “ _You_ write up our schedules, remember?” He looked closely at her. “Have you eaten yet today?” Gently, he placed the back of his hand against her forehead. “No fever. How bad is the morning sickness?”  
Suddenly, Cameron began to sob. “It’s horrible and Benjamin is suspicious and Ben didn’t want to go to school and then you weren't here this morning and I’m so tired and I still love you and it’s all just a huge mess!”  
House went still as what she said sank in. She was still in love with him. Slowly, he pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair. She buried her face in his chest and held him tightly.  
“I shouldn’t have come back,” he said quietly. “I have my resignation letter in my backpack. You should take it and I should leave. Then things can get back to normal around here.”  
“No,” she sobbed. “Don’t leave. I need you here.” _I just need you_ , the words sounded in her head.  
She looked up at him and he turned away. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said.  
“I’m so screwed up,” she sniffled. “I never should have married Benjamin or Chase. I never should have gotten married at all. Every time I got married, I did it for the wrong reasons. I married my first husband because he was sick and needed me. I married my second husband because he loved me and I married the third one because he reminds me of you.”  
“So you _are_ House,” Benjamin said from behind them.  
House released Cameron and she looked at her husband. “He is,” she replied quietly and turned to House. “Can you give us a minute?”  
He nodded and left the office, but he stayed outside the door so he could listen in.  
“Are you going to turn him in?” she asked Benjamin.  
He laughed mirthlessly and shook his head. “No, but not because I don’t want to. I’ve known you for a long time, Allison. We’ve been together long enough that I would like to think I know you better than anyone but he...and coming in here and seeing you with him. You’ve _never_ looked at _me_ like that.”  
“Benjamin…”  
“Shut up….just shut up,” he growled as his hands balled into fists. “Did you ever love me, Allison?”  
She looked at him with sadness and hurt. “Of course I love you!”  
“For me, or who I remind you of?”  
She stepped closer and placed her hands on his face.  
“All I ever wanted was for you to look at me the way you look at him. Every time I’d catch you looking at this picture on your desk, you’d get this...lovesick...nostalgic expression on your face. The only other time I saw you look like that was the day you gave birth to our son,” Benjamin said quietly as he looked into her eyes.  
She didn’t know what to say. Everything he said was true and she wasn’t going to insult him by saying it wasn’t.  
His voice cut into the silence. “Do you want to be with him?” Then he shook his head. “Never mind, I already know the answer to that.” He turned and opened the door, nearly causing House to fall into the room. Cameron rolled her eyes and Benjamin smirked at him for a moment before turning serious again. “Can you make her happy?” he asked.  
“I don’t know,” House answered honestly. “But I want to try.”  
Benjamin turned back to Cameron. “I'll see you when you get home.” He walked over to her desk and placed a thermos on it. “I made you one of those smoothies that settles your stomach. I’ll give House the recipe.” Then he walked out of Cameron’s office, closing the door quietly behind him.  
House sighed as he collapsed heavily in the chair across from her desk. “Damnit.”  
Cameron took the lid off her thermos and drank a large amount of the smoothie. “That is an understatement for what just went down.” She took another long sip. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”  
“It sounds like he’s left it up to you. What do you want to do?”  
“Go home and forget today even happened.”  
“Yesterday too?” he asked with a satisfied smirk.  
“House...this isn’t the time to be cute.”  
“Someone has to be. Come on, Cameron. Lighten up. What’s done is done, but I’m not going to apologize for yesterday or today. You were feeling shitty, and you needed something more than just platitudes. And you know how useless I am when it comes to crying females. I had to get you to stop.”  
Her eyes widened. “Well you certainly did that. And now it’s all fucked up.”  
“It was just a kiss, not a roll in the sack! I don’t know what you’re getting all worked up about.”  
“Because these pregnancy hormones are driving me crazy, and every time I look at you I just want to rip your fucking clothes off but I can’t, and...oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that!” She buried her face in her hands in pure embarrassment.  
“Because you’re married?”  
“Exactly!”  
“Well it looks like Benji’s giving you an out.”  
She looked both shocked and offended at the same time. “You think I’m just going to tell him and my son good-bye and run off into the sunset with you while carrying his baby?”  
She shook her head. “Get out.”  
“You’re really pissed off about this,” he said as he started to get up. She was seeing red. He could tell, and if there’s one thing he learned over the years, it was not to piss off a pregnant lady.  
“Get out!” she screamed and threw her pencil case at him, narrowly missing his head as the door closed behind him in his escape.  
“Jesus,” he groaned as he went back to the pit.  
**  
Cameron sat in her car in the pickup line at Ben’s school. The fact it was her day to pick him up left her feeling relieved. This way she didn’t have to avoid House. It shocked her how quickly she got angry. Of course, House’s cavalier attitude went a long way toward pushing her over the edge like that. At the moment, she wasn’t even sorry she threw her pencil case at him. Breathing deeply, she moved her car slowly through the line. By the time she reached the long covered sidewalk where the children sat, she was calm and even managed a bright smile for the teacher who opened the car door. She and the teacher exchanged pleasantries as the young woman got Ben in his car seat. Before the teacher could close the door, Ben started to tell Cameron all about his day. As she drove and talked to her son, she began to feel buoyant and happy. Her son was the only one who made her feel this happy and relaxed. They stopped at the grocery store and Cameron let her son push the cart.  
“Mommy?” he asked as they walked down the Dairy aisle.  
“What, honey?” Cameron asked as she put a gallon of milk in the cart.  
“I need snacks for school.”  
She smiled at him. “Thank you for reminding me. What do you want to get this time?”  
“Animal crackers.”  
Cameron stopped for a moment as a memory of House tossing animal crackers in the air and catching them in his mouth flashed through her head. She briefly closed her eyes. “Then that’s what we’ll get.” she told her son with a strained smile. “How about fish sticks for dinner?”  
Ben nodded. “And french fries.”  
Cameron leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “How about green beans instead of french fries?”  
“Can we have both? I promise I’ll eat all my green beans.”  
“Okay,” she smiled.  
“Yay!”  
As they finished shopping, she wondered what her son would say if she left his father and they moved in with House. She knew Ben would like House and House was good with children in small doses. But, if she left her husband and started a relationship with House, he would be dealing with two children who were not his own. Was being with House worth all the upheaval it would cause in her children's lives? What if Benjamin sued for full custody of the children? The thought of that made her physically ill. Though she dreaded it, she and Ben were going to have to talk.  
Later that night, after they got Ben to bed, Cameron and Benjamin sat down on the couch in the living room. Silence stretched between them as Cameron stared at her hands.  
Finally, Benjamin spoke. “When I first met you, I thought you were the most amazing woman I’d ever met. I still feel that way. I am still in love with you. But you’re in love with House.” It wasn’t a question so Cameron remained quiet as tears gathered in her eyes and dripped down onto her clenched hands.  
“You married me because I remind you of him. I looked him up online today. He’s brilliant and he’s saved a lot of people. But did you know he drove his car into his ex-girlfriend’s house and went to jail?”  
Cameron nodded.  
Benjamin sighed. “And we both know he faked his own death. He doesn’t strike me as the violent or psychotic type but I can’t take any chances with my children. Or you. I won’t stop you from being with him if he truly makes you happy. But I’m going to need solid proof that he will never hurt Ben, the baby, or you. You can go date him, sleep with him, whatever. But I won’t agree to a divorce and allow you to take our children to live with him until I am absolutely certain you’ll all be safe.”  
“I think you should talk to him.” Cameron said softly. “He can explain why he ran his car into Cuddy’s house and why he faked his death.”  
Benjamin nodded. “I will if he’s willing. But I don’t trust him and until I do…..”  
“I know,” Cameron nodded. “I never meant for this to happen. I honestly thought he was dead.” She looked up at him. “I am in love with him but I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t want to live without my children.”  
He looked at her in shock. “You think I’d take Ben and this baby from you?”  
“You said-”  
“I said I won’t let you go with him unless I know he won’t hurt you. I love you, Ally. And I love our kids. I just couldn’t live with myself if he hurt any of you.”  
“He won’t,” she said firmly. “But, I can understand your concern. I’d like to know why he did those things, too.”  
“Maybe we should have him over on Sunday. Then we can all talk and Ben can go spend the weekend with your parents,” Benjamin suggested.  
“I’ll ask him,” Cameron told him.  
“I’m going to move into the spare room,” he replied. “We’ll just tell Ben...something.”  
“I’m sorry,” Cameron told him softly.  
“So am I.”


	8. Chapter 8

There was a bit of a lull in the ER the next day and Cameron took that opportunity to find House, who was in the cafeteria on his lunch break with Wilson.  
“Here she comes,” Wilson said under his breath.  
“Does she look pissed?”  
“No, just determined.”  
“That’s almost the same thing.”  
She approached the table and House lifted his tray as a shield.  
“What are you doing?” she asked.  
“Are you going to throw things at me again?” he asked, in a mock scared tone and she rolled her eyes.  
“No, I just need to talk to you.”  
“Anything you have to say you can say in front of Wilson,” he said and then Wilson moved over so she could sit in the booth next to him.  
“Benjamin wants us to talk so he wants you to come to the house on Sunday.”  
“Talk about what?”  
“He’s worried you’re...dangerous.”  
Wilson snickered and both House and Cameron shot him a dirty look.  
“He’s just worried you’ll end up hurting the children and me, and he wants your assurance that you won’t.”  
“This is nuts. Didn’t you tell him…”  
“Yes, I did, but he wants to hear it from you. He looked you up. Read about your driving your car through Cuddy’s living room and that you went to prison, and he probably knows you spent time in Mayfield, too. His concerns are valid.”  
“And yet he doesn’t trust you when you tell him that I’d never hurt you?”  
Cameron shrugged. “He said I can do whatever I want, but he’s not going to give up Ben so easily.” At House’s glare, she shrugged again. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. Will you just come to the house on Sunday?”  
“Only if Wilson can come too.”  
“What? Are you two a matched set?”  
“I’m going to need a voucher.”  
“Fine.” Just then, her pager went off and she checked it. “Gotta go.”   
Wilson looked at House. “Wow.”  
“What?”  
“Her husband is actually going to leave her?”  
“Sounds like she’s going to leave him.”  
“What about her son...and the baby?”  
House shrugged. “I guess that’s going to be a topic of conversation on Sunday.”  
“Tell me again why you need me there. It seems like a private meeting and I doubt her husband will want a stranger there. He’s never met me.”  
“He will on Sunday.”  
They finished their lunches and went in two different directions. Cameron was examining a patient when he returned to the ER and took his place behind the triage desk. As he watched her work, he thought it might be a good idea to keep his distance, at least until Sunday, then she would be fair game.  
What then? How were they supposed to proceed? Somehow bringing her back to his place and having sex seemed cheap. She deserved better than that. They’d waited so long already, he wanted something better. Something special.  
He supposed he could take her out an official date. Something different from their one and only disastrous date all those years ago. Dinner, maybe go hear some good music afterwards. Nothing too fancy, but a nice night out. Flowers. He’d definitely need flowers. The corsage he got her the last time was the only thing that went well that night.  
“Smith! Need your help over here!” someone called to him, bringing him out of his thoughts. He got up and went to work, dinner plans put on the back burner for the time being. A gang related stabbing had come in and it was all hands on deck.  
When House was done at the end of the day, he was exhausted physically and mentally. All he wanted to do was go home, pour a glass of bourbon or three and go to bed.  
However, it seemed Cameron had other ideas. She’d been stealing glances at him for the rest of the day, looking at him as if he were an item on the menu. Well, she would just have to get over it and rub one out herself. He wasn’t in the mood to be her booty call. He gave his head a shake as if to clear it while he walked to the locker room to change out of his scrubs. _Not in the mood for sex? Was he crazy?_ Maybe, but he was simply too tired to entertain the notion.  
As he was shoving stuff into his backpack, he heard the door close and the flick of the lock. He didn’t even have to look up to know who was there.  
“I’m tired and I’m going home,” he announced as he threw on his jacket.  
Cameron came around the corner, her scrubs spattered with blood and God knows what else but she didn’t seem to mind.  
“Well, look at you,” he chuckled as she sauntered over to him, a slight sway in her hips. Damn her! She was going to make it very difficult to get away. “What do you call that ensemble?”  
She glanced down at her dirty scrubs and shrugged. “Dexter’s Delight?”  
House laughed. “Nice.”  
She tugged off her top, revealing a pink tank top and he could see the outline of her erect nipples poking through the fabric. He zipped up his bag and tossed it over his shoulder as he attempted to walk around her but she stepped in his way.  
“Leaving so soon? I thought we could talk,” she said.  
“I’m surprised you’re not exhausted. I am.”  
“I am too, but I think I’ve caught a second wind,” she said with a coy smile as she moved closer to him. Her nipples were still taunting him and it took every ounce of willpower he had not to drop everything and take her right up against the lockers.  
He placed his hands on her shoulders and stopped her from getting any closer. “I’m not doing this, Cameron. Let’s get through the rest of this week and then once we’ve talked to Benji, we can decide where to go from there.”  
She looked disappointed, and maybe a little hurt, but he was sticking to his guns and she knew that the case was closed.  
“Okay,” Cameron nodded and stepped aside. “You’re right, as usual.”  
He unlocked the door and then gave her a shrug. “Nothing worthwhile is easy. You of all people should know that.”  
“I don’t even get a kiss?” she pouted.  
She looked so cute standing there that he almost gave in. Almost. “Night, Cameron.”  
Wilson had already eaten dinner by the time House got home so he threw the leftovers in the microwave and changed into his pajamas.  
“You’re home late.”  
“Gang crap in the ER. And then my boss tried to ravage me in the locker room. She’s lucky it was me and not someone else.”  
Wilson laughed. “Cameron came onto you? Wow. So I guess the locker room is officially christened now, huh?”  
“I didn’t do anything. I did consider it, however briefly, but nope. Couldn’t let myself do it so I left. I think I hurt her feelings but she’ll get over it.”  
House quickly ate. The mental image of her in that tank top with no bra was doing things to him and he just wanted to go to bed. Pouring himself a tumbler of bourbon, he said goodnight to Wilson and disappeared into his room.  
***  
House came into work carrying a tray with coffees in it. “Please tell me one of those are for me,” Cameron groaned as she leaned against the desk. “I’ve been here since six.”  
“As it so happens, it is,” House said as he handed the smaller cup to her, their fingers purposely touching each other as she took the cup from him. Both of them felt the current of sexual electricity between them and he looked away as he took one of the larger cups and passed it to one of the other doctors.  
“How come I don’t get a bigger coffee too?”  
He gave her a knowing glare. “You know the reason for that, Dr. Cameron. Anyway, why did you come in so early? You weren’t supposed to be in till ten.”  
“I got called in. I thought about calling you, too, but we pulled a late one last night so I decided to let you sleep.”  
He gave her a sexy grin. “I guess I owe you one then.”  
She smiled back. “I guess you do. Now suit up and get to work. I’ve got a kid who needs X-rays in bed seven and a lady who’s complaining about constipation. You’ll love that.”  
“Sounds like a fun-filled day.”  
When Cameron saw House later, he was sitting at the front desk staring at the computer while rubbing his thigh. It made her remember the times she’d often watch him in his office doing the same thing and it made her smile, in spite of herself. “Everything okay?” she inquired.  
“Huh?” he asked, looking up at her, and then down at his leg. “Oh, yeah sometimes it aches if I’m standing for long periods.”  
“Have you taken anything for it?”  
“Yeah.I’m fine, Cameron. You don’t need to to go all Mother Hen on me,” he snapped.  
“I was just asking,” she snapped back. “You don’t have to bite my head off.”  
“It’s just like old times, isn’t it?” he called out after her and earned a glare before she disappeared into her office and slammed the door. “Pregnancy hormones. Gotta love em,” he muttered.  
“Buckle up, Smith,” one of the other nurses said. “You’re in for a bumpy ride. I was here when she was expecting Ben and she was like Jekyll and Hyde.”  
“Oh, goody.”  
Cameron seemed to relax a little more throughout the day, as it was quieter than usual so she spent a lot of time in her office. House kept his distance from her and stayed at his own desk.  
At the end of her shift, she called him into her office. “Do you still have that resignation letter? I’d like to see it.”  
House shrugged, pulled it from his bag and handed it over to her. She barely glanced at it before placing it in the paper shredder, much to his surprise. Then she got up and walked around the desk to stand in front of him. Her face was very serious and her voice was low.  
“Don’t even think about quitting. This ER needs you and you need this ER.”  
Damn if she wasn’t right on both counts. He sighed and looked down at his hands. “What do you want from me, Cameron?”  
“You know what I want, Greg. What I’ve always wanted. For both of us to be happy.” She reached for his hands and their fingers intertwined. “Don’t you want it, too?”  
“Of course I want it but...at what cost? You’re giving up so much.”  
She smiled up at him. “You’re worth it. And I know we need to sit down and have a serious talk about stuff, but right now I just want, no, I need you to hold me and tell me everything will work out.”  
“I want to believe that. More than anything but…”  
“Greg?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Shut up and kiss me already.”  
He smirked at her, but slid his arm around her waist to pull her closer. She didn’t have the ‘baby bump’ yet but he knew it was still pretty early. He let the back of his fingers gently graze her cheek and she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. House had never been a touchy-feely kind of guy but then Cameron was different. He found he liked simply touching her, even just looking at her. She was one of the most beautiful women he’d had the privilege of knowing.  
Stacy had been pretty, Dominika was exotic and Cuddy had been cute but Cameron was in a league all her own. Kissing her was even more incredible when his lips brushed against hers in a gentle kiss. At least, it started gentle. Cameron had other ideas. She opened her mouth and and let her tongue mingle with his as her hands slid under his scrub top and her nails raked over his nipples, causing him to gasp slightly. He could feel her smile against his lips.  
So she wanted it like that, did she? Well, two could play at that game. The kiss intensified as he explored her mouth with his tongue and slid his hands over her ass as she shoved him against the back of her office door with a loud thud.  
Seconds later there was a knock at the door. “Dr. Cameron, everything okay in there?”  
“Yes, it’s fine,” she called out. “I just dropped something.”  
House started chuckling as she stepped back from him like they’d been caught in the act for real. “Unclench, Cameron. Nobody knows anything. And if they did, so what?”  
“It’s nobody’s business,” she said as she straightened herself up.   
“That’s the spirit. Now,” he said as he flicked the lock and advanced on her once more, “where were we?”  
Her eyes widened. “Seriously?”  
“Nobody’s coming in here, Cameron,” he assured her as he backed her against her desk so she was forced to sit on it. “Besides,” he said between kisses, “I locked the door.”  
“Well that’s not suspicious at all,” she said with a roll of her eyes.  
“What are they going to do? Fire you for having a meeting with one of your underlings?”  
“No, but…”  
Her words were cut off when his lips descended upon hers and his tongue slipped inside to explore. She let out a sigh as she placed her hands on his chest. His hands were placed on the desk and he stood between her legs, trapping her and she had to admit there was something very erotic about the whole thing. She’d had dreams about sex on House’s office desk when she was working for him. Now that the roles were reversed and it was _her_ desk, it was more enticing, and even forbidden. Her heart began to race and her fingers gripped his shirt, pulling him closer.  
“House...God…”  
“I answer to both,” he chuckled. His hand slid down to rub the inside of her thigh as his lips moved down to her neck and nibbled a spot behind her ear. “I could...take you right here...on this desk…”  
She groaned when his fingers slipped under the waistband of her pants and he felt just how wet she was. “Please..House…”  
“Call me Greg,” he growled as his fingers slid in between her wet folds and continued to stroke her.   
The phone on her desk began to ring and she glanced over at it. “Don’t even think about answering that,” he said as his hand moved faster. “Unless you want them to hear you coming.”  
“I’m coming now, Greg!” she gasped. “Oh my God!”   
He kissed her once more to silence her as he helped ride out her orgasm and then he withdrew his hand, noticing how she watched him suck her juices off his fingers. By then, the phone stopped ringing and went to voicemail and he helped her sit up again.   
“I should...get back to work,” he said, but he was leering at her as he took in her breathless and flushed appearance. “You might want to calm down a little first before you call them back.”  
House opened the door, peeked out to see if anyone was watching, and left. With a satisfied smirk he sat back down at his desk. If Cameron wanted to keep things on the down low, he could handle that. That tryst was hot, though. No doubt about it. He could still feel her nails scraping his chest and a warm, fuzzy feeling came over him. She knew exactly where and how to touch him and that just made things even more exciting. He had planned to wait to seduce her until after the divorce but he knew that would probably take months, if not longer, and he wouldn’t be able to wait that long. Cameron certainly didn’t seem to be able to control herself so why should he?  
Sunday couldn’t come soon enough


	9. Chapter 9

Sunday finally arrived and House paced from one end of this bedroom to the other. Wilson sat on the bed watching him.  
“We’re going to be late for brunch,” Wilson reminded him.  
House ignored him and continued to pace.  
“Have you changed your mind now that you can actually have her?” Wilson questioned. “Because I know you loved having her follow you around like a love sick puppy while you held her at arm’s length.”  
House stopped pacing and turned to give Wilson a dark look before rubbing his hand over his face. He stalked over to the bed, snatched up his suit jacket and pulled it on. Wilson jumped up.  
“Let’s go,” House growled.  
Wilson hid a smile as he followed his best friend out.  
***  
Cameron opened the door. She wore an orange floral sundress, brown strappy sandals and her long blonde hair flowed back from her face down her back in soft waves. House stared at her for several seconds before Wilson gently shoved him into the living room.  
As Cameron shut the door, she looked at House with concern shining in her eyes, then at Wilson in question. “He’s fine,” Wilson told her.  
“Are you?” she asked House as she led them through the living room to the back deck.  
As they stepped outside, he looked down at her. “Yeah.”  
Ben stood up from a round glass table loaded with food, plates, glasses, cutlery, soft linens and a glass bowl filled with flowers. House looked down at Cameron and quirked an eyebrow at her. She shrugged.  
“It’s brunch,” she told him as she pointed to one of the chairs.  
House sat down with Cameron on his left and Wilson on his right. Benjamin sat almost directly in front of him. House took his napkin, snapped it open and draped it across his lap. “So, what do you want to know?” he asked Benjamin.  
Benjamin shook his head. “Would you like lemonade or orange juice?”  
“Really?” House sighed. “You saving the really gut wrenching questions for the end?”  
“No, just trying to be a good host. Juice or lemonade? We’re not serving alcohol in deference to Allison.”  
“I’ll have orange juice,” House told him. “I assume it’s freshly squeezed?”  
Benjamin poured some orange juice into a champagne flute and handed it to House. House took it from him and drained it before holding it out again. Benjamin smiled mirthlessly and refilled the glass. This time, House took it and set it beside his plate. Then he sat back and watched the other man closely as he poured drinks for Cameron and Wilson. He never took his eyes from Benjamin as Cameron filled their plates with food. When everyone was served, Benjamin picked up a scone, slathered it with butter and took a bite.  
“Oh, just ask your damn questions,” House growled as he cut into his bacon and leek frittata.  
Benjamin took a long sip of lemonade and wiped his mouth with his napkin before dropping it back in his lap.  
“What happened between you and Doctor Cuddy?” he finally asked.  
“You want the whole story or just the juicy parts?”  
“Why did you drive your car into her house?”  
House looked down at his plate. He hated to talk about Cuddy and the way things ended with her. However, he’d agreed to this for Cameron’s sake and nothing was too awful if it meant he could finally be with her.   
“She hurt me,” he finally said quietly. “I honestly don’t remember driving my car into her house. I was furious and in pain. I shouldn’t have done it. It was stupid and reckless.” He pushed the frittata around on his plate. “She broke up with me because I took a Vicodin. I’d been clean for almost a year and she had a cancer scare. I got scared and took a Vicodin. She told me I’d always put myself first. I tied myself up in knots trying to please her, make her happy, make the relationship work.” He shrugged still looking at his plate. “She didn’t even give me a chance to explain. She hurt me.”  
“But she knew you were an addict when she started the relationship with you, didn’t she?” Benjamin asked.  
House looked up at him in surprise. “Yeah.”  
“And you went to Mayfield for rehab and therapy, right?”  
House nodded.  
“Isn’t it common for addicts to slip?”  
House nodded again.  
Benjamin shook his head. “While I don’t think it was right for you to destroy her house and endanger her and her child, I can’t believe she gave up on you so easily. Are you sure she loved you?”  
“Good question,” Wilson muttered.  
“Is that why you’re so willing to give up Cameron?” House asked.  
“I never said I was willing to give her up,” Benjamin countered. “I don’t own her. If she wants to be with you, I can’t stop her. I just want her to be happy. I also want to know that she’ll be safe and that you really do love her. Why’d you fake your death?”  
House inclined his head toward Wilson. “He had cancer. I stupidly violated my parole. I didn’t think flushing tickets down a toilet would cause part of the ceiling in the hospital to collapse. They were paper and I tore them up. It didn’t make sense. I thought I’d never see him again.” He stopped, tilted his head and smiled slightly. “That kind of makes it seem like I’m in love with Wilson.”  
“Tried to tell you that,” Wilson smiled. “We’ve been friends a long time. I was the one person who stuck with him no matter what he did. Until Allison came along.”  
“And then left three times,” House grinned.  
Cameron ducked her head. “I don’t think we need to talk about that.”  
“If I agree to a divorce, are you willing to help raise my children?” Benjamin asked. “Be there for Allison?”  
House sat quietly while Benjamin waited for him to answer. Did he want to raise another man’s children? He knew he loved Cameron but he knew how much work kids were. Was he willing to take that on? He turned to look at her and she looked back at him.  
“I’m willing to try,” he finally said. “Look, I can’t make promises like that to you. You aren’t Cameron. I can tell you that if she decides she wants to be with me, I will love her and do my best by your kids.”  
Cameron smiled at him and he smiled back at her.. Benjamin leaned back in his chair and looked at them. Finally, he sighed. “Allison, you can file for divorce whenever you want,” he told her. Tossing his napkin on the table, he stood up and walked into the house.  
“I’ll do whatever you need me to do,” House told her. She nodded and looked back into the house.  
***  
Once House and Wilson left, Benjamin came out and helped Cameron clean up.   
“You didn’t have to leave,” Cameron commented.  
“He answered my questions.”  
“Do you have questions for me?” she asked.   
Benjamin stacked all the plates up and held them carefully. “Why him?”  
Cameron twisted a napkin in her hands. “Because he’s House and he’s all I ever really wanted. I’m sorry.”  
“No, I get it. I see how you two look at each other. I see how your face lights up when you talk about him. But, it was easier to compete with a ghost rather than the real man,” he told her quietly. “What do we tell Ben?”’  
“Nothing yet,” she sighed. She twisted the soft linen tighter. Why did it all have to be so complicated? Why did so many people have to be hurt so she could finally be happy?  
“Are you going to go to him tonight?” Ben asked referring to House.  
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe.”  
Benjamin turned toward the open doors. “I’ll pick up our son tomorrow if you decide to go.” He carried the plates inside and Cameron gathered up all the napkins and followed him.   
***  
“Well, that went better than I expected,” Wilson said as he drove them home.   
“What did you expect? Benji and I to have a duel?”  
Wilson smirked, “Well, that certainly would have been entertaining. And if things went south it’s not like there wasn’t a doctor in the house. Ha! See what I did there?”  
“Ha, ha, funny guy. We got through the easy part of all this. Now I’m going to have to figure out how to keep Cameron happy while she’s pregnant, and I’ll have to be a father figure to the rug rat. It’s lucky that he’s a good kid.”  
“I’m sure they’ll come up with some kind of custody arrangement for him,” Wilson commented.  
“I hope so. It would be nice to have Cameron all to myself before baby number two comes along.”  
“Are you going to move out now?” Wilson asked as he pulled into the parking garage beneath their building.  
“I don’t know. It all depends on what Cameron wants to do. She and Benji have some stuff to sort out so I’ll gladly stay out of the way if it’ll help move things along quicker.” He was quiet as Wilson pulled into their parking space. He got out and looked at Wilson over the top of the car. “Which florist do you use?”  
Wilson frowned. “I don’t know-” he began.  
“I have seen three different bouquets sent to three different nurses in the ER alone. The cards all have your name on them,” House said pointing at him. “So who do you use?”  
Wilson sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fleur De Lis. The shop is on Franklin. I’ll give you the number when we get upstairs.”  
House smirked. “See? That wasn’t hard at all.” He walked beside Wilson to the elevators. “So how much fuzz are you getting anyway? Do you have to use the ‘I have cancer’ card a lot?”  
Wilson walked over to the next elevator and when the doors opened, stepped in and jammed his finger on the door close button. House snickered and walked into another elevator.  
When he got to his room, he took the number for Fleur De Lis from Wilson and called them. He figured Cameron would be delighted to receive flowers at work as opposed to having them go to her house where Benjamin would see them. He decided against roses, as that seemed too cliche, and chose a colorful assortment of flowers instead. The bouquet was over a hundred dollars but the look on Cameron’s face when they were delivered would be worth it.  
A few minutes after placing the order, his phone rang and it showed Cameron on the display. He smirked as he hit the “talk” button. “House’s Funeral Parlor. You stab ‘em, we slab ‘em.”  
There was a giggle on the other end. “You better not answer the phone like that at work!” Cameron said, but she was still laughing.  
“As tempting as it is sometimes, I do like my job. So no, I don’t.”  
“Well that’s one good thing.”  
“So how’s it going over there?” he asked.  
“It’s...awkward.”  
“I can imagine.”  
“What are you and Wilson up to?”  
“Nothing right now. I think he’s watching a game on TV.”  
“What game?” she asked.  
“Hey Wilson!” House shouted. “Cameron wants to know what you’re watching!”   
“Hockey. Blackhawks vs Canucks.”  
“Well, nothing’s happening over here so…”  
“If you want to come over, bring pizza,” House told her. “And whatever you want to drink. All we have is beer.”  
“I’ll be there in an hour,” she said and ended the call, causing House to look at the phone in confusion. She never ended calls like that. He must be rubbing off on her in more ways than one. He put the phone down and wandered into the living room. “Cameron’s coming over and bringing pizza.”  
“Nice. Want me to go?”  
“Why?”  
“So you two can be alone?”  
House shook his head. “Nahh, it’s fine. Besides, I’m going to do things right. I’m not just going to jump into bed with her the first chance I get. Too tacky.”  
Wilson looked shocked, and then confused. “Why the hell not? She’s coming over here to be with _you_. She’s leaving her husband for _you_. That translates to _I’m single again! Now take me, big daddy!_ ”  
House laughed and went to the fridge to get a beer for himself. “I want to make sure this is going to work. I want it to be real. She’s worth the effort.”  
Wilson nodded. “Yeah, she is.”


	10. Chapter 10

The buzzer rang to let them know that Cameron was there so House buzzed back to open the front doors for her. A few minutes later, she knocked on the door and he answered it to find her standing there with two large Chicago pizzas and a case of Coke.  
“Are you sure you brought enough?” he teased as he stepped aside to let her in.  
“I know your appetite, House,” she said with a smirk. “And I’m hungry.”  
“You should be. You didn’t eat much this morning when we were over.”  
“Neither did you,” she pointed out. “You must be starving.”  
“Getting there,” House said as he opened the box and took out a big slice for himself. “So good….”  
They ate and continued to watch the game. Near the end, Wilson’s phone rang and he went into the other room to answer it. When he returned, he grabbed his jacket.   
“Can’t keep the naughty nurses waiting. Don’t wait up,” he winked and then he was gone.  
House chuckled and then began to clean up the empty beer cans and plates. “Old habits die hard,” he muttered as he took the dishes to the kitchen. Once everything was cleaned up, he returned to the living room where Cameron was sitting provocatively on the couch.   
“Alone at last,” she said with a coy smile.  
“Want to watch a movie?” he asked. “We have both Netflix and Hulu so there’s lots to choose from.”   
She looked at him in confusion when he sat down next to her on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. When he began to scroll through the movie queue on Netflix, she sank back on the couch.  
“Benjamin is picking Ben up tomorrow morning and taking him Monkey Island. They won’t be home until at least six tomorrow night,” she said as she snuggled up next to him.  
He put his arm around her. “How about _Drinking Buddies_?”  
Cameron’s brows drew together as she looked up at him. “That’s fine.”  
He started the film and pulled her closer. When the movie ended, he kissed the top of her head. “Want me to walk you down to your car?” he asked.  
She pulled away from him. “What the hell is going on? I came over here intending to spend the night. To have sex with you.”  
House sat and looked at her. “Oh, we’ll have sex and I will ruin you for any other man. Or woman if you’re into that. But not tonight. I want to take things slow and do this right. I’ve managed to screw up every romantic relationship I’ve ever been in and so have you. So we’re not screwing this up. You know I’m right.”  
She nodded. “Okay. I admit you’re right. Grudgingly. So, we’re going to date? Like date date?”  
“Exactly,” he said.  
“And when will we get to have sex?” she asked.  
He shrugged. “Probably when you’re massively pregnant. Maybe sooner.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I am not rushing this. You’re too important. Don’t you feel that way about me?”  
“Yes,” she said slowly. “But I’m horny as hell now.”  
House stood, held out his hand and smiled down at her. “Hmm, Dr. Cameron is horny? What to do?” he wondered out loud as he scratched his head.  
Cameron smiled ruefully and took his hand. “You’re a tease.”  
Once she was standing, he pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss. “I plan to abuse myself several times tonight,” he whispered against her lips. “You should go home and do the same.”  
She laughed and pulled away to gather up her things. He led her down to her car, pinned her against the door and kissed her again. This time, his hands slid beneath her t-shirt and cupped her lace covered breast. Slowly he rubbed his thumb over her nipple until it was hard as a pebble. She moaned into his mouth and dug her fingers into his ass. Their tongues tangled together until she pulled back slightly gasping for air. He opened her car door and then closed it once she was inside. She rolled down the window and he leaned in to press a kiss against her temple.  
“See you at work tomorrow,” he whispered in her ear.  
She nodded and he stood back. He watched her car until she left the parking garage and then he quickly made his way back upstairs where he made a beeline for his bathroom.   
***  
House sat at the front desk sipping his coffee and checking patients in when Cameron’s flower delivery arrived. It was even more beautiful than he imagined and he knew she’d be thrilled.  
“Delivery for Dr. Allison Cameron.”  
One of the nurses gasped when she saw the flowers, and House watched her sign for them. Then she went to Cameron’s office to inform her of the delivery.   
Cameron came out of her office looking tired and slightly green. House felt sorry for her, and honestly hoped the flowers would give her a bit of a boost. When she saw the large bouquet she gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “Aren’t they beautiful?” the nurse said as she handed over the card. “See who they’re from.”  
Cameron knew who they were from but she opened the card to read the note. It was short and sweet.  
Dinner tonight?  
She glanced at House giving him a slight nod and a smile before taking the bouquet back to her office. Once the excitement died down, House slipped away from his desk and went to Cameron’s office. She wasn’t at her desk, but the bathroom door was slightly open and he could hear her retching. He went in, wet some paper towels and handed them to her. “Rough night?”  
She glared at him as she flushed the toilet and stood up. “You think?”  
“You should try and get a nap at some point.”  
“Yes, doctor,” she said with sarcasm that both amused and annoyed him.   
“We don’t have to go out tonight if you’re not feeling up to it.”  
“No, I want to. I’ll be better later. I just have a lot of paperwork to get done.”  
“You know, you can delegate and hand a lot of that stuff off to the other doctors. You don’t have to take it all on yourself.”  
“Yeah I know. I’m just…” she slid down the wall and sat as the tears started falling. “So tired…”  
House was at a loss at what to do. All he knew was that he had to do something. “Come on,” he said as he reached for her hand and pulled her back onto her feet. “You’re going to lie down and I’m going to make sure you get some rest.” He led her back into her office and directed her to the small couch in the corner. “Now sleep. Even if it’s just a power nap. You’ll feel better and so will I.”  
She stretched out and he made sure she was comfortable before he left. “Nobody goes in there,” he told the others. “She’s not feeling well, so let her sleep.”  
Everyone nodded and went about their business. A couple of hours later, Cameron summoned House to her office and no sooner had he closed the door behind him, she pressed herself against him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
“Good nap?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her slim waist.  
“Very.” She smiled up at him. “How do you always seem to know what I need before I do?”  
“I’m just that good.” He lowered his head and gave her a soft kiss. “Does this mean we’re having dinner tonight?”  
“Dinner and...what else?”  
“Dinner and a movie?”  
She pouted slightly. “Is that all?”  
He grinned and kissed her again. “For now.”  
Running her finger down his chest she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “Do you need a nap?”  
His eyes narrowed and he gently pushed her away. “Not the kind of nap you’re thinking of, you shameless woman.”  
“Fine,” she said and reached behind him to open the door. Without a backward glance, she returned to the ER. He slipped out of her office and went down the hall to the men’s room to splash some water on his face and wait for his budding erection to go down. When he felt like he was in control of his body again, he returned to the ER to do paperwork. Cameron was working on an older man who held a baggie with what looked like his index finger. She looked over her shoulder at him and rolled her eyes. He widened his eyes at her causing her to smile slightly. House got up and walked over to them.   
“What happened here?” House asked the man.  
“I was working in my garage with the table saw and my wife…”  
“Oh yeah, it’s always the wife’s fault,” House said with a roll of his eyes. “Dr. Cameron’s the best. She’ll get you fixed up.”  
Just then, the doors burst opened and Benjamin rushed in carrying a sobbing Ben in his arms.  
House left Cameron with the patient and headed over to them. “What happened?”  
“He fell off the monkey bars. From pretty high up.”  
“It hurts!” Ben cried, holding his arm tightly against his chest.  
House guided them over to the bed closest to Cameron. She signaled another doctor to take over for her and went to her son. Benjamin slowly backed away.  
“You can’t work on him,” House told her softly.  
“I can be with him,” she said as she stroked her son’s hair and wiped his tears. He gradually calmed down and House got a wheelchair.  
“Want to see something really cool?” he asked Ben.   
The boy nodded tearfully and House carefully lifted him from the bed. He sat him in the wheelchair.  
“I want Mommy!” Ben cried out as House began to roll him away.  
“Come on, Mommy,” House called as he pushed Ben toward the x-ray lab. Cameron held open the doors and House wheeled Ben in.  
“I’m going to put you on that table,” House told him. “Then I’ll be able to see inside you.”  
“I know what an x-ray is,” Ben sniffed.  
“Good, then you can help me read yours,” House told him. He lifted the boy onto the table. He carefully arranged Ben’s arm so he could get a good image.  
“That hurts!”  
“I know,” House replied. “Mommy has to go outside but she’ll come back in as soon as we get the x-rays.”  
House put on radiation protection while Cameron stepped out then pulled up a stool while the tech took x-rays. He noticed the tech typed in the name Benjamin G. Carleton, IV. House wondered what the G stood. for.  
“What's your middle name?” House asked.  
“Gregory.”  
House glanced through the window at Cameron and then back at her son. “Seriously?”  
“Yep. Why?”  
“That’s my name, too.”  
The boy’s eyes lit up. “Cool!”  
Once they had the x-rays, the tech nodded at House and handed over the images so House could put them up on the wall. He went and picked up Ben.   
“Whaddya see, kid?” he asked when they were standing in front of the lighted images.  
Ben looked closely and made a face. “Part of a skeleton.”  
“Look closer.”  
“I don’t see anything.”  
House pointed to the two lower arm bones. “This is the ulna, and this is the radius. See this?” he said as he used a pen to point further. “It’s a hairline crack in the radius. Not bad, but you will need a cast for awhile.”  
Ben cocked his head to one side, much like Cameron did. “Will it hurt?”  
“Nope. And you wanna know the cool part? You can pick what color it is.”  
The boy’s eyes widened. “Really?”  
“Yeah, come on. Your mom will bring you back to the ER and then you can pick the color you want.”  
“Can you put the cast on me?”  
“That’s up to your mom.” House leaned over and whispered to the boy, “I’m not supposed to because I’m not a doctor, but I know how.”  
Cameron walked back into the room. “What’s up to me?”  
“I want him to put the cast on me,” Ben said, pointing to House.  
Cameron shrugged. “I don’t have a problem with that. I’ll go to Ortho and get the supplies and bring them back to the ER.”  
“Is Big Ben still here?” House asked her.  
“Yes, he’s in the waiting room. He’ll take Ben home once you’re done.”  
House nodded and turned back to the boy. “So what color do you want?”   
“Can I have camouflage?”  
“Which color? Green or blue camo?”  
“Blue please.”  
“Done and done.”  
Half an hour later, Ben was fitted with a new blue camouflage cast which House signed and sent off with his dad.  
“You did good, Greg,” Cameron whispered as she kissed his cheek. “I might just have to reward you later.”  
“Oh yeah? Now I’m excited,” he said.   
“Mhm,” she nodded as she ran her hand down his arm. “You should be.”


	11. Chapter 11

Once Ben and his father left, House and Cameron went back to work. During a lull, House sidled over to her.  
“Your son’s middle name is Gregory?” he whispered out of the side of his mouth. “Does Big Ben know what my name is?”  
“Yes,” Cameron told him. “He thought it was a nice tribute when he thought you were dead.”  
A slow smile spread over House’s face. “So does Big Ben want to change the kid’s middle name now that he’s met me?”  
“He hasn’t said anything. Don’t you have charts to work on or bedpans to empty?”  
His smile widened. “Unlike you, I know how to delegate.”  
She turned to face him with a wide, fake smile. “Well, delegate this. All the empty beds need clean linens and there are some IV bags that need to be changed. That should keep you busy for awhile.” She turned her back on him.  
He leaned in and brushed a kiss against the back of her neck. “You will pay for that later,” he whispered before walking away. He didn’t need to turn around to see the effect he had on her.  
***  
When Cameron arrived home, she found Benjamin waiting for her in the living room.  
“We need to tell Ben,” he said. “He’s been talking about House non-stop since we got home. He wants to go to work with you so he can see him again.”  
Cameron studied her husband’s face. It was devoid of emotion but she could see the rage simmering in his eyes.  
“Do you want to do it together or do you want me to do it?” she asked folding her arms over her chest.  
“We’ll do it.”  
She reached out and gently grabbed his arm. “You need to take a few minutes to calm down. You’re too angry right now.”  
He nodded and she walked back to her son’s room. He was sitting on his bed playing a video game. Looking over at her, he smiled.  
“Did you bring Greg?” he asked.  
“No,” she told him as she moved to sit on the bed next to him. “So, Daddy says you really like him.”  
“He’s really cool!” Ben grinned. “He showed me the hairline crack on my bone and let me pick out my cast!”  
“He is very cool,” Cameron agreed. She looked down at the Thomas The Tank Engine comforter on his bed. “Daddy and I have something we need to tell you.”  
“Are we going to see Greg now?”  
“No, but your Mommy is,” Benjamin said from the doorway. “She’s going to live with him and you’ll stay with me and go visit your Mommy and Greg.”  
Ben frowned. “But Mommy lives here. Right, Mommy?”  
Cameron shot an angry glare at Benjamin before turning back to her son. “I knew Greg a long time ago. Now that he’s here, I want to live with him. Does that make sense?”  
“But what about Daddy? You knew him a long time, too.”  
“Your Mommy is in love with Greg and wants to be with him,” Benjamin told him.  
Ben shook his head. “But Mommy loves you.”  
“Not anymore,” Benjamin muttered. “Probably never did.”  
Cameron tried to control the anger rising in her. Benjamin was deliberately trying to make her out to be the bad guy and was hurting their son in the process. So much for him being understanding and willing to let her go.  
“Ben,” she said carefully looking into her son’s blue-green eyes. “I thought I loved Daddy but I know I love Greg.”  
Ben’s eyes filled with tears. “Does this mean you don’t love me no more?”  
She gathered him into her arms. “You are part of me. I will always love you. Always.”  
Ben pulled back slightly. “Is this cause I broke my arm?”  
Cameron smoothed his hair back. “No. You didn’t do anything wrong. Sometimes Mommies and Daddies realize they aren’t meant to be together. That’s all.”  
“Where will I live?”  
“Here and with Greg and I,” she told him. “You like Greg, right?”  
Ben frowned. “I did.”  
“This is my choice,” Cameron told him. “I don’t want you to be mad at Daddy or Greg.”  
Tears began to flow down Ben’s cheeks. “I don’t want to be mad at you, Mommy.”  
Cameron kissed his cheek and wiped his tears. “I don’t want you to be mad at me, either, sweetheart. It’s going to work out. You’ll see.”  
“Are you leaving now?” Ben asked.  
“Greg and I are going out but I’ll be here in the morning,” she told him.  
“My friend Lucy’s parents are divorced,” he said. “Most of the kids in my class have divorced parents.”  
He sounded so grown up and resigned that Cameron hugged him tightly. “I know.” She looked over at Benjamin who simply shrugged.  
She gave her son a quick kiss on the cheek and smiled reassuringly at him. “I’ll be back in the morning, okay?”  
Ben nodded. “Okay.”  
Cameron glared at Benjamin as she walked past him and went to the bedroom. He stood in the doorway and watched as she picked out an outfit to wear. “So much for you giving me up without a fight.”  
“Huh?”  
“Did you really have to be such an asshole? This is going to be hard on Ben as it is. You didn’t need to make me out to be the bad guy.”  
“You’re the one leaving me, and you’re the one who said you never loved me in the first place. How do you think that makes me feel? Hearing our son talk nonstop about how great House is and blah blah blah.”  
“He’s always been good with kids. Because he doesn’t treat them like kids. Leave. I have to get ready.”  
“Hot date? Where’s he taking you?”  
“I don’t know, but knowing House, I’m sure there will be a blues lounge thrown in there somewhere.”  
“Is he picking you up here?” Benjamin asked blocking the doorway.  
“No, I’m going to his place first. I’m not having him come anywhere near you when you’re like this.”  
She grabbed her clothes and shoved past him to get to the bathroom and slammed the door.  
***  
“Interesting,” House said as he read the text that Cameron sent him. “She’s coming here instead of me going to pick her up.”  
“Weird,” Wilson nodded. “Where are you going for dinner?”  
“Mortons.”  
“Nice.”  
“Yeah, then we’ll probably head over to the Berkshire lounge for a drink.”  
“You’re really pulling out all the stops.”  
“Just taking my cues from you. I know that’s where you take your dates when you wanna get laid..”  
Wilson grinned. “And it works every.single.time.”  
“Yeah, funny thing is, all I’d have to say to her is “wanna stay in tonight?” and she’d be in my bed, but I want to do this right. Show her that I’m serious about this and that I can be a romantic,” House told him.  
“You? A romantic?” Wilson laughed.  
“Shut up.”  
An hour later, Cameron arrived wearing a simple black dress but there was nothing simple about the rest of her. Her shoes were silver and sparkly and so was the jewelry she wore. Her long blonde hair hung in ringlets down her back. All House could do was stare at her.  
And she stared back at him. He was polished and pressed with a grey suit, light blue shirt and suede shoes.  
He stepped aside and let her in. She put her clutch down and smiled at him. “Where’s Wilson?”  
“I don’t know. He went out.”  
“So we’re all alone?” she purred as her hands slid up his chest.  
“For the moment.”  
She reached up and started to place soft kisses at the base of his throat. “Or we could just...stay in tonight….”  
“We could, but you don’t break reservations at Mortons.”  
She paused and looked up at him in surprise. “We’re going to Morton’s?”  
“Is that a problem?”  
“No, no, it’s just that I’ve never been there.”  
“I’m surprised Dingleberry never took you.”  
She shrugged. “He’s not a fine dining kinda guy.”  
“Well I am. So let’s go.”  
The restaurant wasn’t busy when they arrived so they got a table for two near the back where it was quiet. They were seated side by side in the cozy booth. “The lady will have a virgin cocktail. What’ve you got?” House asked their server.  
“We have the cucumber mojito. Very nice, with or without the rum.”  
“That sounds amazing. I’ll have that,” Cameron smiled.  
“Thank you. And you, sir?”  
“Scotch, neat.”  
“Of course.”  
Once the man left, House glanced at Cameron. “You don’t mind, do you?”  
She shook her head. “Not at all. I don’t expect you to go without just because I have to.”  
“There is a downside to it though. Means I can’t get you tipsy in order to have my wicked way with you.”  
“You don’t need alcohol for that,” she said with a sly grin.  
Their drinks arrived, and they ordered their dinners. “Cheers,” House said as he raised his glass. Cameron clinked hers against it and they sipped. “How is it?”  
“Pretty good, considering there’s no rum in it.”  
“So how’s the kid?”  
“He’s okay. Can’t stop talking about you, which drove Benjamin crazy, causing us to have something of a heated argument,” she said with a frown. “Damn I wish there were rum in this,” she sighed before taking another sip.  
“What happened?”  
“He’s trying to make me out to be the bad guy in all this. So much for letting me go and admitting defeat. I think it’s going to get very ugly, House. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to cut your losses and take off now.”  
“Oh no, you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”  
She sighed again. “It’s bad. I think he’s going to fight for sole custody of Ben.”  
“Then we’ll fight back,” House told her.  
“Really?”  
“We’re in this together now.”  
Cameron took another sip of her drink. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know if I can go back to the house tonight. Benjamin was so angry…”  
House frowned. “Are you afraid of him?”  
“No, it’s not like that, I just hate to see him so mad because then Ben gets worried.”  
They had dinner but opted out of dessert and headed down the street to the Berkshire lounge. “It’s a little more laid back than at Morton’s,” House told her as they went inside. It was busy, but they managed to find a couch off to the side where it wasn’t as loud.  
“Let me ask you this. What do you want to do?”  
“Well, I need to get out of that house for starters. So I’ll need to find a place.”  
“What about in my building? Where you were before?” House asked.  
“Yeah I thought about that. If I’m going to have Ben with me, I’ll need a bedroom for him.”  
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” he said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her in closer. “But enough about that. Did I tell you how amazing you look in that dress?”  
“No but the look on your face when you first saw me was enough.”  
He leaned in and began kissing her neck. “Mmm you smell good, too…”  
“Thanks.”  
House placed his fingers under her chin, turned her head and kissed her softly. “And you taste good…”  
“So do you,” she murmured against his lips. She could taste the bourbon he was drinking and she so wished she could have some. Alas, her 7-Up would have to suffice.  
“When this baby is born I’m going on a seven day drunk.”  
House chuckled and rested his hand on her leg. “I’ll be right there with you. You know, every guy in here is wondering how an old man like me managed to snap up such a hot chick.”  
“Oh please,” she laughed. “I’ve seen you turning the heads of women tonight. You look amazing. It took some getting used to the new look since you came back, and I like it, but sometimes I miss scruffy House.”  
“Well I can fix that. I just won’t shave for a couple days. And I’m sure I can find a wrinkled shirt to throw on.”  
Cameron thought about that and her whole body shuddered in anticipation.   
“Mmm you’re thinking about that now, aren’t you?” he whispered in her ear as he nibbled it.   
“Yes,” she whispered back.  
“And when I’ve got you in my bed, and I’m making love to you, are you going to call me House then?”  
She felt warm tingles flow through her body and she clutched the arm of the couch. “Yes.”  
He grinned and picked up his drink. “Good to know.”  
Cameron’s eyes grew wide as she watched him settle back and sip his drink. _Was that it? He was just going to toy with her and leave her like that? That wasn’t going to work._ When he finished, he was about to signal for another but she stopped him. “It’s getting crowded and I have a bit of a headache. Can we go?”  
He studied her. Her pupils were dilated and she was frowning at him. She definitely wasn’t happy. Well, he’d have to fix that.  
“Okay.”   
He paid the tab and they left. It wasn’t that late when he pulled into his parking space in the underground lot. “Do you want to come up?” he asked her, even though he knew the answer.  
“Yes.”  
House smirked but they got out of the car and into the elevator. As soon as the doors slid closed, she pressed herself against him, wrapped her arms around his waist and crashed her lips against his. “I’ve wanted to do that all night,” she whispered.  
He rested his forehead against hers. “What stopped you?”  
“I know you don’t like PDA’s. And honestly, I’m not into that either.”  
“So you’d rather ravage me in a public elevator?” he laughed as the elevator dinged for his floor.  
“Among other places,” she said with a coy smile.  
They walked down to the hall to the apartment and he let them inside. The place was quiet and Wilson’s jacket was gone, signifying that he was still out.  
“All alone….again,” Cameron said as she kicked off her shoes and looked enticingly at House. “Do you think he’ll be back tonight?”  
“Probably, at some point. He rarely spends the night wherever he goes.”  
“He really is the panty-peeler of PPTH, isn’t he?” she giggled.  
“Yep.”  
“You could peel my panties anytime, Dr. House.”  
He cocked his head to one side. “Who are you and what have you done with Dr. Cameron?”  
She walked towards him. “I’m still here. I just know what I want, and now that I have you, I’m not letting you go.”  
He wrapped his arms around her. “I thought we were going to take things slow.”  
“I want you to make love to me, Greg. Slowly.”  
He smirked. “That wasn’t what I meant.”  
“I know. But really, what’s stopping us?”  
“You’re still married.”  
“Legally, yes, but in my mind I checked out of the marriage the day you walked into my office for that interview.”  
“Poor Benny.”  
She shrugged. “He’s not a bad guy and he’s a good dad.”  
“I’m sure he is.”  
“He’s just hurting right now but he’ll come around. I think it became real for him when I moved my things into the guest bedroom. But enough about him,” she said as she tugged on his hands and began leading him to his bedroom


	12. Chapter 12

House followed, resigned to whatever she might have in mind. He didn’t know what time Wilson would be back, and he didn’t want him coming home while Cameron was there. However, once she unzipped the back of her dress and let it fall to the floor, revealing satin blue and black lace lingerie, he lost all train of thought and didn’t care about anything else.   
She looked so beautiful he was almost afraid to touch her. She sauntered over to him, a slight sway to her hips and began unbuttoning his blue shirt. She paused when she had them all undone and looked up at him. He seemed lost in thought as he watched her. “House…”  
“Mhm?”  
“If you’re not into this…”  
He gave his head a shake. “I meant what I said about doing this right, and taking it slow. I don’t think jumping into bed on our first real date is such a good idea.”  
She knew he was right. They were rushing into things and for what? It wasn’t some torrid, secret affair they were having. There was no reason to rush.  
“You’re right. But I want to be with you, even if it’s just lying next to you for awhile. I won’t stay the night, I promised Ben I’d see him in the morning.”  
House nodded and pulled her into his arms for a long kiss. His hands slid up her back as her chest rubbed against his. The satin and lace of her bra felt heavenly against him and he let out a slight growl.   
Cameron smiled against his lips as he them lowered onto the bed and lay side by side, facing each other. He tucked a lock of her hair in behind her ear and she gently stroked his cheek. “Definitely needs more scruff.”  
He smirked at her. “So you said. I’ll work on that.”  
She leaned over and kissed him again. “I’ve never forgotten our first kiss. I’ve been craving it ever since.”  
“I told you, no woman should die without knowing the feeling. A kiss can be the next most erotic experience next to the act of sex itself.”  
She nodded. “I could lie with you like this all night and be totally content.”  
He sighed and wrapped his arm across the swell of her stomach. “Me too and I’ve never been much of a cuddler.”   
They slowly slipped into a light sleep until the sound of the front door opening and closing woke House. Cameron was still asleep next to him and he carefully covered her with the duvet before getting up and going into the living room.  
Wilson took in House’s messed up hair and unbuttoned shirt and smirked. “Cameron’s still here, I take it?”  
“Yeah. What time is it?”  
“Just after four.”  
“Good night?”  
Wilson grinned. “Yep. You? How was your date?”  
“It was good.”  
“Must be if she’s still here.”  
“Hi Wilson,” Cameron said with a smile as she stood in the bedroom doorway in her black dress. Then she glanced at House. “I’m going to head home.”  
“I’ll walk you down,” he told her.  
Cameron got her keys out as they walked to her car and then she leaned against it. “Tonight was good. Thanks.”  
“We’ll go out again soon. Once our schedules match up. I’m working a lot of late shifts this week,” he told her.  
“I’ll see what I can do about that. It’s all based on seniority but I should be able to shuffle things around.”  
He shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”  
“I know...I’d just like for us to have some quality time together before Ben comes to stay with me and then the baby is born. Then there won’t be any private time.”  
He could see her point. “We’ll work something out.” He leaned over and kissed her again. “You did look breathtaking tonight. I especially liked that little number you have under that dress.”  
Cameron giggled and wrapped her arms around him. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”  
“Can’t wait. It kinda makes me wonder what you’ve got on under those scrubs at work.”  
“You’ll just have to ravage me in my office again to find out.”  
“Is that a standing invitation?” he grinned.  
“Always.”  
***  
The sky was growing light in the east when Cameron parked her car in the driveway. She expected to see her bags by the front door and was surprised when they weren’t there. She got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Before she could insert her key in the lock, the door swung open and she looked up at Ben. He stood to one side to let her in and closed the door behind her.  
“I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier,” he told her as she walked across the living room. “I’m not going to cause problems for you. I was hurt and I acted like an asshole.”  
“Yeah, you did.”  
He smiled slightly and indicated the couch. “Talk?” he asked.  
She nodded and they sat down on the couch.  
“I got you in at Pinnacle One Eleven,” he told her. “Apartment 06. It’s three bedrooms so you can have a nursery for the baby. You’ll be close to House until you two can find a place of your own. If you agree, I’ll sell this place and we can split the profit. I’ll pay alimony and child support, too. Ben will go to a new school but he’s young and he’ll adjust. I’ll also help when the baby arrives.”  
“What made you change your mind?”  
“Ben,” he told her softly. “He said you have happy eyes when you look at House and he has happy eyes when he looks at you. I asked if you and I have happy eyes when we look at each other and he said no. We apparently have regular eyes when we look at each other. Ben likes House and House is good with him. It’s painfully obvious the two of you are in love. It’s also become obvious that you don’t feel that way about me.” He looked at her. “Why did you marry me, Allison?”  
Tears filled her eyes. “I wanted a normal life. I wanted children. I wanted so much to be in love with you that I convinced myself I was. I forgot for a minute how screwed up I am.” She stopped and wiped her eyes. “You reminded me of House though I didn’t want to admit that’s what attracted me to you. I don’t regret marrying you because of Ben and the new baby but I do regret hurting you.”  
He nodded. “I do love you but I honestly don’t know if I’m in love with you.”  
She put her hand over his and smiled. “When you fall in love, trust me, you’ll know.”  
Gently he put her hand back in her lap. “You should go get some sleep. I already packed up all your stuff and Ben’s, too. You can move in to your new place tomorrow. Since Ben is out of school, that won’t be a disruption for him.”  
“Do I need to tell him?”  
Ben shook his head. “He picked out the apartment and told me what he wanted to take. He’s actually excited about moving. I think he picked up that we weren’t really happy. Our son is entirely too smart and intuitive for his own good.”  
“Yes he is,” Cameron smiled. She stood up. “Thank you.”  
He nodded and watched her walk down the hallway. He reached for his laptop and started looking for an apartment of his own.   
***  
A week later, Cameron moved her things into the new apartment. Wilson and a few of the ER staff helped her and Ben stayed with his dad so he wouldn’t be in the way. House was on shift at the hospital but he was due back that evening. She’d taken a few days off due to extreme morning sickness so she hadn’t seen him and she missed him.  
“When is House supposed to be home?” Wilson asked her at the end of the day as they sat in her new apartment and drank lemonade.  
Cameron glanced at her watch. “Pretty soon. I tried to give him the day off to help move but I needed someone to run the ER today and he was the only one competent enough to do so.”  
They had left the front door open and House entered, looking around. “What? No food?”  
“It’s eight o’clock,” Wilson said. “We ate hours ago.”  
“Well that’s stupid. There must be leftovers…”  
“After feeding half a dozen people? Not likely,” Wilson chuckled. “What planet have you been living on?”  
House glared at his friend but Cameron was staring at House. He was acting like, well, House, and with his five o’clock shadow and wrinkled T-shirt and jeans, he looked like the man she she originally fell in love with.  
Hoping to ease the tension in the room, Cameron spoke up. “I can make you something,” she said as she got up. “And there’s beer in the fridge that someone left.”  
“If you hadn’t scheduled me then I would’ve been able to help,” he snapped at her.  
“I told you the reason. I assume the ER is still standing?” she bit back. When House gave her a “duh” look, she nodded. “I rest my case. There was nobody else I trusted to work the front desk, which is kind of sad when you think about it, but….there it is. Now, if you want me to make you something to eat then I will, but if you’re going to be a jerk then you can go right back up to your apartment and stay there. I’ve been moving and unpacking stuff all day and I don’t have time for your crap.”  
While she and House continued to glare at each other, Wilson rubbed the back of his neck.  
“Yes, well, I’m gonna head back up to our apartment and...be there.” And with that, he made a quick exit.  
Once he was gone, Cameron all but ran over to House, threw her arms around him and kissed him with a feverish urgency that took him by surprise. He gave in for a few moments and when the need for air was too great, they split apart and he looked down at her.  
“It’s the scruff, isn’t it?”  
“The scruff, the shirt, the jeans…” she whispered as she peppered his face with more kisses. “I love all of it. The whole package…”  
He kissed her back and growled when her hands slid up under his shirt and her nails raked over his nipples. His hands slid down her back and squeezed her ass, pressing himself against her so she could feel his arousal.   
She tugged on the hem of his shirt and pulled it up over his head. He did the same, stopping to kiss her just long enough to remove her shirt.  
“House…” she sighed as he expertly unhooked her bra at the front and immediately went for her breasts, taking one of her nipples in his mouth, rolling his tongue over it. Cameron thought she was going to lose her mind if he kept it up, and fumbled with the button on his jeans, and then the zipper, pulling it down and slipping her hand inside. “I want you...right now….”  
House loosened the tie on her yoga pants and shoved them down her legs so she stepped out of them. She released him from the confines of his boxers as he shoved down his own jeans and kicked them to the side. He then tucked his fingers under the waistband of her underwear and roughly tugged them off next before pulling her in the direction of the bedroom.  
She followed, still kissing him, burying her fingers in his hair as they bumped against several walls along the way. He glanced over at the bed, which didn’t have any sheets on it, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was getting her on that mattress. He picked her up off her feet and sat down on the bed, pulling her down onto it with him as he moved on top of her, resuming his attack on her body.  
“Yes…” she gasped when he began kissing his way along the inside of her thigh, skipping the place he knew she wanted him to touch, and across her growing stomach. She arched her back as he continued to kiss her everywhere and sighed when his lips claimed hers again.   
This is what she wanted all along. To be taken to bed by House and completely consumed by him.  
“I want you,” he whispered as he covered his body with hers and nuzzled her neck.  
Cameron nodded. “You have me.”  
He smiled down at her and they kissed again, slowly, deeply, as she opened up for him and he took what she offered.   
It was all so surreal and overwhelming. Her entire body felt like it had been waiting for that one moment forever, and when he filled the void, she couldn’t help herself, she cried out and clutched him to her like a lifeline.  
He moved slowly but it was as if his hands and his mouth were everywhere at once, touching and kneading, kissing and nibbling.  
She raked her nails down his back and arched against him, crying out once more when she reached her climax.   
Meanwhile, House was reciting the alphabet in his head, trying to distract himself. Not very sexy, but it was that or things would be over before they even started. When she cried out and arched her back, her nails scratching his skin, that was his undoing and he lost himself in her.   
Fireworks exploded behind his eyelids and he let out a deep growl as he fell over the edge with her.  
They lay together like that for several minutes until House came to his senses and rolled off of her with a very satisfied sigh.  
“Not how I envisioned things but...that was pretty awesome.”  
Cameron giggled and rolled onto her side to face him. She reached out and gently stroked the hair on his chest. “I think...awesome is an understatement.”  
He laughed. “You’re right. Incredible, amazing…”  
“Intense, sensual,” she added.  
“Yep, that too.” His stomach rumbled and she laughed.   
“I guess you never did get a chance to eat.”  
“Nope.”  
“Come on, I can make you a sandwich,” she told him as she got up.


	13. Chapter 13

When House entered the kitchen, he went to the fridge and grabbed himself a beer. “Want anything?”  
“I’ve got some juice here, thanks,” she said and then handed him a plate with a roast beef sandwich on it. He saw she made one for herself.  
“Thanks.”  
He sat down at the counter and they both ate. “You got a lot done today.”  
“Yeah. Tomorrow I’m going to work on getting Ben’s room ready for when he moves in.”  
“I’ll leave that to you,” he said.  
Cameron smiled. “I figured you’d say that. So how was work?”  
House shrugged. “Not too bad today. The worst thing that came in was a guy with broken ribs, coughing up blood because one of them punctured a lung, but we got him fixed up and sent upstairs.”  
“Good. You know, a lot of the nurses and other doctors are amazed at your knowledge on things. They keep asking me why you’re not a doctor.”  
House shrugged. “If it were possible to be a doctor again I’d do it in an instant. But it’s not. So they’ll just have to deal with me being a highly competent and intelligent nurse,” he said with a grin.  
Cameron nodded and finished her sandwich, put the dish in the dishwasher and poured herself another glass of juice.  
House finished his sandwich and put the dish away. “I guess you should find where you packed the sheets if you plan on sleeping in your bed tonight.”  
She nodded. “Good idea. Are you staying?” she asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.  
“Do you want me to?”  
She bit her lower lip and then smiled. “I hoped you would. We do have work in the morning but that’s no big deal. You can go back to your apartment and change before you go.”  
“Don’t want me to do the walk of shame?” he teased.  
“As fun as that would be, no. I hate to say it but I think we need to keep things on the down low for now.”  
House nodded. “Yeah we should. I don’t want you getting in trouble.”  
“It’s not as bad as PPTH at least. We might have to sign a love contract but the issue of my being your supervisor isn’t as big a deal. And I know some of the staff already suspect there’s something going on and nobody seems to care because they like you.”  
“Imagine that,” House smirked.  
“I know, it’s a mystery to me, too,” she replied, also grinning. She finished her juice, put the glass in the sink and gasped when she turned around to find House directly behind her. He grinned at her and then kissed her softly at first. Their passion quickly heated up as he backed her up against the kitchen counter. When he pressed himself against her core, she gasped again at the bulge in his shorts.   
“Ready for round two?” he murmured against her lips.  
“So soon?”  
House cocked his head to one side. “Are you complaining?”  
She shook her head vigorously. “Nope.”  
“Good,” he said, gripped her hips and lifted her onto the edge of the countertop.   
“You’re so bad,” she giggled as he nuzzled her neck and caressed her legs before spreading them apart so he could stand between them.   
“I think you love it,” he said.  
“Again, no complaints.”  
“I didn’t think so.” His hand slipped down to her core and found her already wet for him.   
“House…” she sighed as she writhed against his hand.  
“Mhm?”  
“Fuck me...now.”  
“So bossy,” he teased as he released himself from his shorts, pulled her right to the edge of the countertop and slowly entered her, filling her completely.   
Cameron moaned and threw her head back as he devoured her neck, making sure to leave his mark.  
“Gregory House, if you’ve given me a hickey, I’m going to kill you.”  
“No you won’t,” he murmured against her neck. “Because if you kill me, you won’t get anymore of this,” he said as he began to thrust harder and faster. One arm wrapped around her to hold her in place while the other rubbed her clit.  
“Damn you!” she giggled and then gasped when the first orgasm took hold of her. It was a small one, but it packed a punch and House felt her inner walls squeezing him. “Oh God! Yes!!” she cried out as she rode that first wave with him until the next one hit, even bigger and stronger than the first.  
“So amazing,” he sighed when he reached his own explosive finish and just stood where he was for several minutes. “I’ve never taken a woman in the kitchen like that in...hell, I don’t think I ever have.”  
“A good way to christen the place if you ask me,” she giggled as he helped her down.  
“Mhm,” he nodded. “That said, now I’m really tired.”  
“Me too. I’ll grab the sheets and pillows. We’ll make the bed and get some sleep.”  
“Much deserved sleep,” he added.  
***  
House quietly let himself into his apartment early the next morning to find Wilson was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. He gave House a knowing grin, which earned him a nod in response.  
“I wondered how long you’d be able to wait.” Wilson studied his friend. “You look like...you used to, but with longer hair.”  
House nodded and grinned as he ran his hand over his scruffy face. “I think that’s what did it. Totally unintentional.”  
“It makes sense though. She fell in love with you back then, and it’s like she has you back.”  
“Yeah, problem is I can’t dress like this all the time.”  
“I know but still, that’s how it is.”  
“I’m gonna shower and go to work.”  
“Not doing the walk of shame, huh?” Wilson teased.  
“Nope, and neither is she. How it goes at work today should be interesting.”  
“To say the least.”  
***  
House was already at his desk when Cameron sauntered in carrying a tray of coffee from Starbucks. Without a word, she set one down in front of him with a sexy grin and continued on, passing out two more to her nurse friends. He watched her go into her office and sit down at her desk, but she kept the door open. It wasn’t long before she glanced up at him and smiled even wider. He smiled back, raised his cup in “thanks” and took a sip. Just the way he liked it. She knew him so well it was almost scary, but then she could say the same thing about how well he knew her.  
The day wore on as usual until lunch. House was prepping a patient for stitches when Cameron approached. “Lunch?”  
“Sure, once you’re done with this guy.”  
“Sounds good. I’ll be right back.”  
House nodded and the patient glanced over at her as she walked away. “Now that is one sexy nurse...Oww!” he yelped as House injected him none too gently with a local anesthetic.  
“Big pinch,” House drawled. “And she’s not a nurse. She’s a doctor and she runs this ER so try not to be a jerk when she stitches you up, okay?”  
When they were done with the patient, who was smart enough to keep quiet while Cameron treated him, they decided to hit the cafe across the street instead of the busy cafeteria. It was nice enough to sit outside so they grabbed a table on the patio. Once they ordered, Cameron leaned forward.  
“I need a favor,” she said as she reached out to stroke the back of his hand.   
“Anything for you,” he replied with a wink.  
“I need you to watch Ben tomorrow.”  
House’s eyes widened. “You want me to watch the kid? Why can’t Big Ben or your parents or his parents or a regular babysitter do it?”  
“I can’t get anyone else. You know I have that meeting all day tomorrow and you’re off for the day.” She looked at him pleadingly. “Please?”  
“What form of payment can I expect to receive for doing this?” he asked with a lascivious glint in his eyes.  
“Whatever you want,” she replied with a sly smile.   
He leered at her. “Imagine the possibilities. Okay. What time are you dropping him off?”  
“A little before seven tomorrow morning,” she told him. She laughed at his look of shock. “The meeting starts at seven thirty.”  
“No normal human being is awake that early,” he protested.  
“Most normal human beings are awake at that hour,” she informed him. “You just aren't  
normal.”  
He squinted one eye and stared at her. Then he shrugged. “True. Bring the spawn on tomorrow. I’ll keep him entertained.”  
“And out of trouble.”  
He shook his head. “That’s a lot to ask of me.”  
She smiled. “I think you can manage it for one day.”  
The server arrived with their food and they talked of other things as they ate.  
***  
That night as House watched Wilson load the dishwasher, he remarked as casually as possible, “So what are you doing tomorrow?”  
“I’m going to the same meeting as Cameron so you cannot rope me into taking Ben for you,” Wilson said without turning around. “You watched Rachel. You can do this.”  
“Damn,” House huffed as he walked into the living room and slumped down on the couch. He picked up the remote and turned the television on.  
Wilson walked in and sat down next to him. “This is a great way to get to know your future step-son.”  
House looked at him out of the side of his eye. “Step-son?”  
“Well, you and Cameron are going to eventually get married. Aren’t you?”  
House slumped further down on the couch. “We haven’t gotten that far. I can’t get married due to the whole being dead thing besides still technically being married to Dominika. I don’t want to get married. Besides, she’s about to divorce husband number three. You and I both know that marriage can destroy a perfectly good relationship.”  
Wilson inclined his head. “Yeah.”  
“I am not ready for marriage talk,” House sighed. “Right now all I can focus on is getting through tomorrow without killing her kid.”  
Wilson snatched the remote from him. “That’s a good idea. Take things one day at a time.”  
House snickered. “Easy for you to say. You’re not with a hormonal pregnant woman. I thought she was going to jump me when we got back to work. I might’ve let her, too, if it wasn’t so busy.”  
“You old dog,” Wilson laughed. “After the long dry spell you’ve had it’s about time you experienced a bumper crop.”  
House merely grinned. “And I’m expecting more rain.”  
The two men watched TV for awhile until Wilson’s curiosity got the better of him. “So...was it everything you imagined? With Cameron, I mean.”  
House stared back at Wilson. “It was better.”  
“Wow.”  
“Yeah.”  
***  
Cameron knocked on the front door of the apartment at about ten to seven the next morning. House was ready for her and opened the door. Ben smiled when he saw House and the two exchanged a high-five. House stood back and Ben entered. He turned to his mom.  
“Bye, Mommy,” he said with a wave. “See ya tonight.”  
Cameron watched him make a beeline for the living room. “So much for a hug and a kiss,” she sighed.  
House pulled her into his arms and hugged her gently. Then his mouth touched hers in a gentle kiss. “Don’t want to get you too riled up before your big meeting,” he smiled.  
“Please don’t kill my son,” she smirked. “And no caffeine or processed sugar. He can have fresh fruit and raw vegetables with his sandwich at lunch.”  
“BYE, MOMMY!” Ben shouted from the living room.  
“Bye, Mommy,” House smirked before kissing her with so much heat and passion that she was gasping when he released her.  
She nodded and blinked a few times. “Bye.”  
House turned her in the direction of the elevators and gave her a gentle push then he closed the door.  
“I want bacon!” Ben called out from his spot on the couch.  
“I suppose you want pancakes too?”  
“Yeah! Pancakes! With maple syrup!”  
House chuckled as he went to the kitchen and found the ingredients for breakfast. Twenty minutes later, he placed a plate of bacon and three large pancakes slathered in butter and syrup in front of Ben, who could barely contain his excitement. “Wow!”  
After they ate, Ben was even more excited than before. “Can we go to the park now, Greg?”  
“I dunno, kiddo. It’s supposed to rain later.”  
Ben glanced out the window. “It’s not raining now. Pleeeeeease?”  
“In a bit. Digest those pancakes first, and then…”  
“What’s digest?”  
“It means if you start running around so soon after eating you’ll puke all over me.”  
“Oh.”  
“Yeah so we’ll go in half an hour but if it starts raining we’ll come back. Deal?”  
Ben smiled and nodded. “Deal!”  
***  
By the time they got downstairs, rain was falling hard.  
“Sorry, kid,” House said. “Whatcha got in your room upstairs?”  
“Legos!”  
“We’re building stuff with Legos, then,” House told him.  
They went back upstairs to Cameron’s apartment. House unlocked the front door and Ben bolted past him. House closed and locked the door and followed. Ben’s room was neat; even his bed was made.  
“Legos?” House asked.  
“In here,” Ben told him opening his toybox. He tried to lift the container of Lego’s but it was too heavy. “Mommy or Daddy usually get them out for me.”  
“No problem.” House lifted the box out and they sat on the floor.  
As they built a city, Ben peppered him with questions.  
“Why do you call Mommy, Cameron?” he asked as House pushed an arm onto a fireman.  
“That’s her name.”  
“Unh-unh. It’s Allison Carleton. Daddy and Doctor Wilson call her Allison. Why does she call you House?”  
“Because that’s my name.”  
“Why doesn’t she call you Greg?” Ben persisted.  
House sighed. How could he explain the complicated relationship he and Cameron had all those years ago?  
“She does sometimes,” House told him and then wished he hadn’t.  
“When?”  
House rolled his neck and shifted on the carpet. “When we’re alone.”  
“Are you going to be my new daddy? Cause I love the daddy I have.”  
“No,” House replied as he reached for another Lego. “Your daddy is going to remain your daddy.”  
“What should I call you?” Ben asked as he scooted around the edge of the Lego city to work on building another area.  
“What do you want to call me?”  
“Greg.”  
“Then call me Greg,” House told him. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was lunchtime. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Lunchtime, kid.”  
After a healthy lunch, they settled down on the couch to play some of Ben’s video games. At one point, Ben crawled into House’s lap but they continued to play. House found himself having a really good time with the kid. Maybe being around him all the time wouldn’t be as bad as he originally thought.   
Around four, the rain let up and the sun shone brightly. House and Ben looked at each other.  
“Park!” they shouted in unison.  
***   
When Cameron let herself into her apartment, the lights were all on and the TV was still playing. She thought they’d still be at House’s, but when she came into the living room, she stopped and smiled at the scene before her. House and Ben were asleep on the couch, both covered in mud, an open pizza box on the coffee table and Spongebob Squarepants was on. Grateful that the dust cover was still on the couch, she gently walked over and tapped House’s shoulder.  
He woke with a start and looked around. “Shhh it’s just me. I’m going to put Ben to bed.”  
House nodded and picked the boy up, carrying him into the bedroom and placing him on the bed. The kid barely stirred as Cameron undressed him and put his pajamas on. When they went out into the hall, he pushed her up against the door to her bedroom and kissed her. She laughed and pushed him off. “Not now, Casanova. You need a shower, and I need to throw Ben’s clothes in the wash. I’m not even going to ask what you two got up to today.”  
“Awww why not?” he grinned as he started stripping off his dirty clothes while she watched with interest. When he was down to just his boxers, he grinned wider. “See anything you like?”  
“Very much so.” She sauntered over and slid her hands up his chest as she smiled. “Want some company in the shower? I’m suddenly feeling very dirty.”  
He growled as he bent his head to kiss her. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to give you a good scrubbing, won’t I?”  
“Mhm, yes you will.”  
He followed her into the bathroom and turned the water on while Cameron got undressed. Once the water was hot enough, he stepped in and pulled her into the large stall with him. “Now this is what I had in mind,” he said as he stood under the spray and grabbed her shower sponge so he could soap it up. “Now c’mere.”  
She giggled as he proceeded to run the sponge all over her body, paying extra special attention to her breasts. “Now turn around.”  
She sighed as she let him wash her back and lower until he was leaning against her, his very stiff cock sliding against her core as he placed kisses on the back of her neck and wrapped his arms around her.  
“See what you do to me?” he whispered in her ear.  
“Mhm...yes…”  
“You want this?” he asked as he gently rubbed himself against her wet core.  
“Yes!” she practically cried out and then covered her mouth with her hand.  
“The kid is dead to the world, Cameron,” he chuckled. “Besides, the door’s locked.”  
“I know, but…” her words were replaced by a deep, guttural moan as he slid into her from behind. “Oh God, Greg!” she cried out as he started thrusting hard and deep, pressing her against the slick wall of the shower as his mouth devoured her neck and her shoulder.  
After a few minutes, he pulled away and spun her around to face him so he could take her again. She wrapped her leg around his hip and he grabbed it to secure her as he pinned her to the wall once more and resumed.  
“Greg...Greg...God...don’t stop…”  
“No intention...of ever stopping,” he murmured against her lips. “But oh God I’m...so close right now…”  
She smiled at him and wrapped her arm around his neck. “Then go for it…”  
His hand slipped down to where their bodies joined and brought her to her peak quickly. His lips found hers to silence her cries and their tongues explored as they reached another climax.   
The water was beginning to get cool so House turned it off. “Come on, bedtime,” he said as he wrapped a towel around her before grabbing one for himself.  
“Are you staying?”  
“Do you want me to?”  
“I do, but Ben…”  
“He and I had a chat today.”  
Cameron raised her eyebrows. “About what?”  
“He asked me if I was going to be his new dad, and I said no, that I’m not replacing his father. He seems to accept that, and that you and I are together now. Him seeing me in the morning isn’t going to be a big deal for him. So you can unclench now and we’ll get some sleep. Your kid wore me out.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who read this. A huge thank you to Pyewacket75 for writing another one with me. Her patience is as endless as her enthusiasm. I couldn't ask for a better writing partner.

A few months later, House, Cameron and Ben were settled in a new house just outside Chicago. Ben loved his new school and was eagerly awaiting Christmas and the birth of the new baby. His father lived about twenty minutes away in a new home of his own. The divorce would be final in a few months and he shared custody of Ben with Cameron. Ben liked shuttling back and forth between the two households. Wilson stayed in the apartment he originally shared with House but spent most of his free time with House and Cameron. He often took Ben on outings and Ben adored his Uncle Wilson.  
One blustery, snowy morning, House met Wilson in downtown Chicago for breakfast. House entered the crowded diner and saw Wilson sitting at a table near the back. He brushed the snow from his coat and removed his cap as he made his way through the diner. Once he reached Wilson, he removed his coat and gloves, draping them over the back of the chair.   
“Did you have to pick the most crowded place?” he asked Wilson as he put his cap on the small table.  
“They have Challah waffles.” Wilson replied.   
The server approached and they placed their orders. As they were waiting for their coffee, Wilson sat back and looked at his best friend.  
“You’re happy,” he said smugly.  
“Wasn’t that the whole point of this?” House asked.  
Wilson nodded. “So why are we out so early on our one day off this week?”  
“I want your opinion about a Christmas present for Cameron. We were out shopping for Christmas presents last week and she saw a necklace she really liked. I thought she’d get it but she didn’t.”   
The server brought their coffee and Wilson took a sip of his. “Maybe she didn’t because you two were getting Christmas gifts,” he said.  
“But we agreed not to,” House told him wrapping his hands around his coffee cup. “She wanted to focus on the kid and stuff for the new baby.”  
“Well, there you go,” Wilson told him as the server returned with their food. “She’s saving up to buy for the kids.”  
House cut into his own French toast. “I just want her to have it.”  
“Then we’ll go get it for her.”  
“I just don’t want her to feel guilty because she didn’t get me anything,” House sighed as he poured warm maple syrup over the toast. “But it really doesn’t matter because you and I both know that when a woman says “don’t get me anything” she still wants something. Even if it is just some little trinket.”  
Wilson looked down at his plate and concentrated on eating. House watched him for a few minutes through narrowed eyes before jerking the plate away.  
“Hey!” Wilson protested.  
“Spill it and you can have your Jewish toast back.”  
“She’s getting you something. Now give it back before it gets cold.”  
House set the plate down in front of Wilson. “But we agreed. I had no idea she was lying.”  
“She wasn’t lying. She wants to surprise you. She honestly doesn’t care if you get her anything because she said she has everything she wants now.”  
House grimaced. “She always was a sentimental sap.”  
Wilson pointed his knife at House. “A sentimental sap that you love.”  
Before House could answer, his phone began to play _Take A Chance On Me_ by ABBA. He pulled it out and answered it. He listened for a moment and then shut it off.  
“Pay the bill and meet me at the hospital,” he told Wilson as he got up and grabbed his coat, hat and gloves. “Baby number two has decided to join the rest of us.”  
“Go!”   
***  
Wilson sat with Ben in the waiting room.  
“When is the new baby gonna get here?” Ben asked him.  
Wilson shrugged. “Hard to say.”  
“Daddy looked scared. So did Greg. Is Mommy okay?”  
“She’s fine. Your Daddy and Greg are just nervous about the new baby.”  
“I hope they pull a boy out of Mommy’s tummy. Girls are icky.”  
Wilson smiled. “She’d be your sister, though. Sisters are different.”  
“Do you have sisters?” Ben asked.  
“No. But, one day you won’t think girls are icky.”  
Ben got off the couch and looked at Wilson. “I’m hungry.”  
“Then let’s go to the cafeteria and get something to eat.”  
Just as Wilson stood up, Benjamin entered. Ben ran to his father. “You have a sister,” he told his son.  
“Is Mommy okay?”  
“Yes. She’s just fine. You can go see her and your sister in a little while. I thought we’d go get some lunch and come back. Sound good?” Benjamin asked.  
Ben nodded. Benjamin looked at Wilson. “Thanks for keeping an eye on him. I think you should go check on House, though.”  
Wilson nodded and went looking for House. He was sitting in the chair next to Cameron’s bed while she slept and the baby slept in a portable crib next to her.  
“Hey,” Wilson said softly.  
House got up and gestured that they go outside. “I’m starving. Let’s grab food,” he said.  
“Sure, but not here. The Bens are in the cafeteria,” Wilson told him. He looked at Cameron who still slept. “What about Cameron?”  
“She’s fine, let her sleep.”  
“Everything go okay?” Wilson asked as they bundled up to leave the hospital.  
“Yeah, pretty textbook delivery, but damn, I need a stiff drink.”  
“There’s a pub around the corner.”  
“Perfect.”  
After a few stiff drinks and lunch, they returned to the hospital to find Cameron sitting up in bed, nursing her daughter. House stood back and watched while Wilson watched his friend. The look of adoration on House’s face when he looked at Cameron never failed to amaze him. He never saw House look at anyone that way, not even Stacy.  
“You’re back,” she whispered.  
“Yeah. I was hungry. What about you? Do you want anything?”  
“No, I’m okay for now. I think she’s just about finished.”  
“She’s beautiful, Cameron,” Wilson smiled. “Congratulations.”  
“Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without Greg.”  
“Oh stop,” House chuckled as he dismissed her comments. “All I did was stand there.”  
“And told me to suck it up.”  
“Well yeah, you were screaming at me.”  
“You try pushing something the size of a melon out of an opening the size of a lemon and see how it feels.”  
“No thank-you,” House said and squirmed.  
“Have you named her yet?” Wilson asked.  
Cameron shook her head. “Ben says it’s up to me. Nothing comes to mind yet.”  
“What names do you like?”  
“Uncommon names. Taylor, Brynn, Corinne, Sasha…”  
“Those are all nice names,” Wilson agreed.  
“What do you think, Greg?” Cameron asked him.  
House merely shrugged. “It’s not up to me. She’s not my kid,” he said and then left the room.  
“What the hell?” Wilson grunted. “Where’s he going now?”  
“Let him go. This has been hard for him. He’s going to be raising another man’s children.”  
“He seems to be doing fine with Ben.”  
“This is different. I don’t know why, but it just is.”  
“Well, he’d better get over it. And if he doesn’t, give me a call. I’ll help you however I can.”  
Cameron sniffed and nodded, feeling overwhelmed by Wilson’s generosity. He chuckled and sat down on the side of the bed. “Don’t cry.”  
“I can’t...help it.”  
“I know. I’ll go get him.” Wilson told her.   
He got up and as he was leaving, a nurse brought Ben into the room.  
Wilson went down the hallway to find House and Benjamin having it out in the visitor’s lounge. “You should be in there with her! What the hell are you doing out here?” Benjamin shouted.  
“Back off!”  
“She left me for you and yet you’re out here pacing the hallway. What’s wrong, Greg? Did it get too real for you? Knowing that you’re not the baby daddy?”  
“Yeah, well, she was probably thinking of me when you were making both your kids.”  
“Son of a bitch!” Benjamin shouted as he decked House in the chin, snapping his head back and causing him to hit the wall.  
House gave his head a shake and advanced on Benjamin just in time for Wilson to step in between them. “Whoa, hang on. Settle down. You’re making a scene. I could hear you all the way down the hall.”  
Wilson turned to Benjamin. “Do you want your son seeing you two like this? Really?”  
“Where is Ben?” House asked, looking around.  
“He’s with Cameron,“ Wilson told him. “A nurse brought him into her room just as I was leaving.  
“You’re a goddamn coward,” Benjamin hissed, baring his teeth as he attempted to lunge at House again, but Wilson held him back. “If I knew how much, I never would’ve let Allison be with you.”  
House’s eyes widened. “ _Let_ her? Oh, no you didn’t just say that.”  
Benjamin shook Wilson off and straightened his shirt. He looked at House with disgust. “Get over whatever pathetic thing is screwing with that rat maze you call a mind. Allison loves you. You get to raise my daughter. You’ve won.” He turned and walked away.  
“Well, that went well,” Wilson commented. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen you get punched. What’s going on with you? Are you pulling your old ‘it’s too real so I have to bail’ act again?”  
“Hurtful,” House told him as he rubbed his jaw. A bruise was already forming. “But, yeah, it’s got very real seeing Cameron give birth and knowing that tomorrow we will have two kids at home. I’ve dealt with babies at work but not full-time. I wasn’t even around Rachel full-time.” He shook his head. “I still managed to corrupt her.”  
Wilson snorted. “She was corrupted the minute Cuddy took her home. Cuddy isn’t the best …” he paused as he searched for the best way to say what he meant.  
“Role model?” House asked with a smirk. “Rachel was already a master at lying and manipulation when I went to prison.”  
Wilson pressed his lips together and looked away. House laughed softly.  
“Come on,” House said brushing past him. “Let’s go see my new family.”  
When House and Wilson entered the room, Ben was sitting in the chair watching as the nurse gave his new sister a bath. Cameron smiled at them as they came in and House leaned over to softly kiss her cheek. That’s when she saw the bruise on his jaw.   
“What the…”  
“Don’t worry. It’s fine,” House told her.  
“It doesn’t look fine.”  
“Benjamin and Greg had words,” Wilson said with a roll of his eyes.  
“Looks like you had more than words,” Cameron scowled.   
“I’ll get you an ice pack,” the nurse told him as she handed the baby back to Cameron and left the room.  
“Have you thought of any names yet?” Wilson asked her.   
“I have been thinking and I’m leaning toward Ava.” Cameron glanced down at her daughter who was already falling asleep in her arms.   
“It’s a nice name. Isn’t it...Greg?”  
House nodded and looked at the sleeping baby. “Do you want to hold her?” Cameron asked him.   
His first instinct was to say no but he took the baby gently into his arms. He never thought he’d fall in love with Ava so easily, especially since she wasn’t his child. She was part of Cameron and that was enough.  
“She’s beautiful, like her mother,” he said softly as he stroked her sparse downy blonde hair and touched her soft skin.  
Cameron sniffed and smiled at him. Wilson sensed they needed a moment and looked at Ben. “How about we go across the street and get a frapp?”  
The boy jumped up out of his chair and smiled. “Yeah!”  
Wilson looked over at House. “You two want one?”  
“Sure, the usual,” House told him, but Cameron shook her head.   
“Maybe just some hot tea for me, thanks,” she told him without taking her eyes off House holding her daughter.  
“You got it. C’mon, kiddo.”  
***  
Christmas morning snow fell outside the windows and inside Cameron, House, Ben and Ava sat around the Christmas tree. Ben’s father was coming to get him at four that afternoon which gave the boy plenty of time to spend opening his presents. Santa brought him a mini iPad and he sat on the floor with Cameron loading apps on it. House sat on the couch holding Ava and watching them. When Cameron left all those years ago, he never imagined he’d have a chance with her. He knew she had feelings for him while they were working together but she’d been so innocent and sensitive he hadn’t wanted to take those qualities from her. After working for him and with him, she’d developed a tougher skin but still remained as sensitive. She still cared deeply for all her patients. Best of all, she still loved him despite what she said when she left on that horrible final day.  
Cameron got up and sank down next to House. Ben stretched out on the floor and played with his new iPad.  
“When is Wilson coming over?” she asked him as she stroked Ava’s downy hair.  
“After the kid leaves. He’s bringing Chinese food. It’s a tradition with us.”  
She stretched. “Sounds perfect.” Then she stood up and got a box from under the tree.  
“Grab the one with the fancy gold wrapping,” he told her.  
She smiled and picked it up. She carried them back to the couch and put them on the coffee table. Taking Ava from House, Cameron placed her in her bassinet then joined House. She picked up the small box wrapped in silvery blue paper and handed it to him. He picked up the other box and handed it to her. He tore off the paper and looked at the ring box then at her.  
“Is there something you want to say?” he teased.  
She lifted the necklace from the box. The circle of diamonds winked in the light. “It’s beautiful. Open yours.”  
He flipped open the box and looked at the platinum ring. There were interlocking pieces like a puzzle.  
“We can’t get married,” he reminded her. “I’m dead, remember?”  
“And I told you I don’t want to get married again,” she said as she removed the ring and slid it onto the ring finger of his right hand. “It isn’t a wedding ring. Think of it more as a Property of Allison Cameron ring.”  
He laughed. “Maybe you’d like to brand me instead?”  
“I thought about matching tattoos but Wilson said you’d never go for that.”  
“He’s right. Besides, getting someone’s name or image tattooed almost always dooms the relationship.” He took the necklace from her and secured it around her neck. When he was done, he ran his fingers through her hair. “Think of that as a Property of Greg House necklace.”  
She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. “Gladly.”

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is [Cameron's necklace](http://images.neimanmarcus.com/ca/3/product_assets/Y/3/T/X/S/NMY3TXS_mu.jpg).
> 
> Here is [House's ring](http://menweddingbandsz.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/men-wedding-rings-on-hand1.jpg).


End file.
